My dad is going to be secretary of the local Sportsman Club, a fishing/hunting/general outdoors group who have a shooting range and nice big pond open to the public on certain occasions and open to members anytime for fishing/hunting stuff.

My dad would like to get the word out about upcoming events and the have pictures from these events up on a website, and he doesn't want something like photobucket or something, he wants a website. Now, I am NOT in any way, shape, or form, knowledgable in this area, so I can't really help him. I did say that it would probably cost around $70 a year, and explained the domain-name purchasing and webspace he'd have to buy, and told him about CoolMatty's $5 a month thing.

Now that's all fine, but the actual website is where the real problem comes in. I know absolutely no HTML, CSS, or anything else used for websites. I don't know of any programs that help make websites. It doesn't have to be professional by any means, no one but backwoods rednecks are going to be looking at this, so we don't need a $400 website job. My dad would like to try to do this on his own, and there is no way in hell I'm going to try this. I don't even want to try to learn HTML.

What would/will my dad have to use/pay for/learn to make a basic website? This is for someone relatively computer illiterate, so please don't link to a professional tool.

I would have him take a computer class at a local technical school. My mother did that.

Just so you know, a $400 website would get you something suitable for backwoods rednecks. A proper site will cost several thousand.

The best way to learn properly is to get a good book. I don't know of any off-hand that are good for beginner level html though, you have to be careful that you get a book that teaches good practises because there's a lot of ways to go wrong.

Other than books you can learn pretty much any web language over at http://www.w3schools.com/

The only other advice I feel like giving is to NOT do any css until the HTML is finished, but also not use any presentational HTML.

This stuff is all pretty easy though, HTML is the easiest markup language known to man.

Easiest thing to do is grab PHP Nuke 7.9 or a similar CMS that will let you avoid dealing with any markup, and still be flexible for calendar, news, events announcements etc.

CM has PHP installed on his webserver, so this would be no problem.

I'd suggest Joomla, although, he'd have to learn a little something if he wanted a unique and individualized design.

If he needed help, I could set it all up for him for free. Especially if he's on CM's server.

I don't allow PHP Nuke on my webserver. It's like turning on telnet, turning off passwords, and posting an article on Slashdot saying "HACK ME".

There are many similar CMS's however, that I am perfectly okay with.

Yeah, I don't really use a pre-built CMS, so PHPNuke is the only one I've really heard of. Actually, I don't have much up on my space on your server at the moment anyway, though I'm working towards something. It's all written by me though, so no PHPNuke.

Joomla. I'll help you.

Drupal or Joomla would be his best bet.

Joomla. It can integrate with Simple Machines forums...even if you don't need them, SMF kicks *** anyway.

It sounds like you don't need anything as complex as a full CMS. I'd go with a lightweight blogging platform like textpattern.