my side of the bargin....
Objections to frames center around a few basic issues:
Frames block out many people whose browsers are frames incapable
When designing a framed site, it's important to remember that many people use browsers that can't handle frames. Contrary to some people's perceptions, this is not just because the user is too lazy to "get a real browser". Some people use text or audio browsers which render material in a linear fashion. Others simply dislike frames and turn them off in their browser's settings. If you don't include no-frames content, you are simply leaving out a portion of your potential audience.
Frames Are Often Misused
Probably the biggest problem with frames is that it is so easy to use them incorrectly. The web is filled with pages that use frames not because they are correct for the situation but because "they're cool". This is what gives frames a bad name. If you are considering using frames, make the choice based on what works best for your site, not on the mere availablility of "special effects". More importantly there are certain issues relating to frames and web page / site securities for your end users!! particularly with viri.
The functionality of frames can easily be acheived via standard / usable and accessible (x)HTML
Most things that can be done with frames can be done without them... and in fact
should be done without them anyway because you should always have a no-frames alternative.
In fact, this is the reason many designers have abandoned frames: redundant effort.
Also by developing a framed site you will also run into lots of issues relating to keeping the code consistant between the framed and non framed site, when dealing with large scales site simply modifications equate to twice the work load to implement and test.
Here's a simple procedure to follow if you are considering using frames. First, design and build your site
without frames. You have to do that anyway to provide a no-frames alternative. Once your site works without frames, look it over and decide if adding frames is worth the additional effort. If so, then your site probably really is one of the few sites that truly benefits from frames.
The next point is SEO, frames in their unique nature often reply upon a series of URL's in order to build the complete website the problem with search engines is they try to specificaly target the domain / url of the site, so having multiple urls to content with can cause seo problems.
Ultimatly its up o you how you design and develop your site, if you feel your users will benefit from a "frame expereince" and your research suggests that your target audiance will be accomendating of that fact then go for it, for me on a personal level i have yet to to find a need where html/css cannot produce the same and typically 100% better solution alone.
PS. this may help your thought process
PRO's -
Frames -- Why and Why Not
CON's -
Frames -- Why and Why Not