This debate keeps coming up so let's settle it. I use Dreamweaver in code view (never WYSIWYG) because the auto-complete, color coding, and FTP integration save me time. But I could do everything in Notepad if I had to.

Is using a tool like DW a crutch or just smart productivity?

Tools are tools. Using DW in code view is basically using a fancy text editor. Nothing wrong with that. The important thing is understanding what the code does.

I hand-code everything in vim. Yes I'm that person. But I'd never judge someone for using DW. Whatever makes you productive is the right choice.

The real crime is using DW in design view and never learning HTML. That produces terrible code. Code view is perfectly fine.