I am a complete newbie to web design/developement/hosting. i dont know where to start. what i would like to do is host a web site for my family and friends on my home internet connection. im not expecting a lot of hits and my connection speed is 10MB up/down. this should be just fine for what i have in mind. my computer is behind a firewall, and i dont know exactly what to do about that. i dont know what kind of software i would need either. if you know of any tutorials online for newbies like me let me know. i would also greatly appreciate any advice you may have.

Here's a decent intro that I found on the web. I was surprised I couldn't find more. http://www.pcmech.com/byos/step/1/ Now if you want a fulltime (24/7) webserver, I'd suggest throwing your favorite distro of linux on a junk PC.

Have you considered blogging? Its perfect for posting thoughts, and pictures. Google offers a free blogging service: http://www.blogger.com/start

One issue is whether or not you have a dynamic IP adress or is it static. If it is dynamic then you could try no-ip.