Why use an authoring tool?

The main advantage of using an authoring tool (such as Dreamweaver or FrontPage) to build and maintain your site is productivity. If you need to get a site up quickly and efficiently, using an authoring tool will certainly help you in that regard.

Another advantage is the reduced need for technical expertise among your content creators. If the people creating the content for your site are primarily end users who are comfortable with Word and/or Powerpoint (but not with programming or other development work), then they will feel more comfortable using an authoring tool.

The main disadvantage of an authoring tool is the impact it may have on your creativity. You may find that you start thinking of new designs as limited what is available in the tool.

Dreamweaver, GoLive or FrontPage?

The most popular of these packages is Macromedia's Dreamweaver. Developers working in Microsoft shops (organizations that use Microsoft products almost exclusively) will often choose FrontPage. GoLive is Adobe's entry in this field and, if you use other Adobe software, you should check this out.