Google unveils Web page creator

Google launched on Thursday a service that lets people create their own Web pages hosted by the Internet giant.

Google Page Creator, which is in beta, has sample layouts and lets people type in content, upload images and publish their pages, without knowing HTML. People can create multiple linked pages and are allowed 100MB of storage on the service.

The free service requires a Gmail account and supports either Internet Explorer 6.0 or Firefox 1.0, or higher.

With Page Creator, the company has drawn a distinction between Web sites and Web pages, saying that a page is a "single document with its own Web address," whereas a site is a "collection of pages with a common subdomain," or the "xxxxxxx.com" portion of the URL. "During this initial testing period," Google said, people can create only pages, not sites.

Google already owns Blogger, a company that enables people to create blogs. The company also recently launched a service offering hosted e-mail accounts with an individual's chosen domain, instead of Gmail.

[207495111267145837975635436522]

Message has been deleted.

[djemerson]

Please explain

How did Yahoo kill your real estate website?<br /><br />"Unless Google &#38; Yahoo exit all other businesses they are in and <br />promise to be in search engine business only..."<br /><br />Yahoo!'s real estate section IS search engine business. It's <br />specialized search. Yahoo! isn't selling real estate, it's just <br />advertising it. As a consumer/internet user I don't want to visit <br />15 different sites. I want one that will deliver all the information <br />to me.<br /><br />Businesses die off when they are no longer needed by a vast <br />clientel. I suggest you rethink your business strategies and <br />come to market with a better product instead of trying to start <br />boycott's for your vastly superior competitors.

[jfsequeda]

Make the user happy

Google only wants users to be happy. This is an ongoing economy and the strongest will survive. They have to have a heck of a huge team of people who just think about new ideas.... anybody can do the same thing also!

[led mike]

question?

&gt;&gt; will not (UNFAIRLY) compete with our <br />&gt;&gt; businesses<br /><br />Could you explain how it qualifies as "unfair"?

[Jim Hubbard]

Doesn't this break a recent patent?

As reported on CNet (<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://news.com.com/Company+claims+patent+win+in+online+rich+media/2100-1030_3-6042085.html" target="_newWindow">http://news.com.com/Company+claims+patent+win+in+online+rich+media/2100-1030_3-6042085.html</a>)...amother company just got a patent for "The present invention relates to the method of providing users with the ability to create rich-media applications via the Internet. In a specific embodiment, users may access a host website supplying the ability to create rich-media applications, examine the available product set, and construct a rich-media application on the host website. In a specific embodiment, the host website enables the user to modify an existing rich-media application on the host website. "<br /><br />Hmmmmmm......this little company may have thier first licensee.

[Source00]

Not really...

Unless you are going to go after (and by that I mean sue them) Google, Yahoo (Geosites), Microsoft (Office live), MySpace, and any other company that offers a server side site building tool (that list is LONG including most ISPs). Not to mention, these tools have been around since, oh let's conservatively say 1997ish... Trying to enforce a patent on technology which has similarities with other technologies, expecially against someone with DEEP pockets (unless they outright stole the patented technology) is just the expensive way to getting the patent opened up to interpretation and rendered basically useless. I'd look into it, but the quote provided sounds like a very vague description of a large number of existing technologies.

[Dibbs]

these tools aren't new

i've used tools like this in the past on CeoCities and whatnot. so what is different about their idea that makes it patentable?

[Dibbs]

these tools aren't new

i've used tools like this in the past on GeoCities and whatnot. so what is different about their idea that makes it patentable?

[densbtly]

Entering/Killing businesses

I concur with previous... I'd rather search for real estate, etc from as few portals and links as possible. Progress, which appears to be inevitable, demands evolution and thus is rather destructive. If my business can outsource web page/site hosting for the fraction of the cost of internal IT, and I can be assured of the integrety, reliability, availability, and privacy of the data, then it would take about a nanosecond to make that decision. This model works great for mom and pop and joe sixpack, and even startups.... is it feasable for a fortune 500? probably not. Thanks to technology my first three jobs I had back in the 70's don't even exist as job descriptions anymore..... not to mention the companies... either embrace the evolution or be prepared to be overrun by it. Just ask the Native Americans, whose land you now sell.

[NWLB]

Missing the point.

Other companies have had, and still use, web-based page creation. This isn't new. It is that Google's name is attached which has some folks worried. They shouldn't be. <br /><br />This isn't about what little companies are going to get eaten alive. To be honest, if something like this is enough to kill your business, you weren't good enough to stay in the game. <br /><br />No, this is about content, finding it first, and being able to control its venue.<br /><br />They'll get folks to do their blogs on Blogger, personal websites on GooglePages, mail with Gmail, etc. All of this lets them scan pages sooner than Yahoo, MSN, or the other engines, thus it is an advantage to get users to literally deliver content directly to them. Plus I would have to think it is possible for Google to block Yahoo, MSN, and others from crawling content on their own servers, but that would be evil, and this is Google after all. (minor sarcastic grin)<br /><br />Adsnese and Adwords are strong programs for them, exactly because you put their code into your sites, they become aware of them quicker, and have a better idea of what is out there. <br /><br />I've wondered how Google expected to stay ahead of the search game, this seems to duck-tail with everything else to answer that question. People may find Google truly has a stronger grip on the market than people generally understood.<br /><br />NWLB<br />*****************<br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.NWLB.net" target="_newWindow">http://www.NWLB.net</a>

[neocliff]

I agree

This fits with Google's idea that the web is the computing <br />platform rather than the PC. If you think about it, the only <br />difference between what Google is doing with this, gmail, <br />blogger etc and Apple's .mac service is Google also has a built in <br />search engine, .mac does not.<br /><br />That said, the public is was gives Google its "power" in the <br />internet market place. If it bugs you that much, use another <br />search engine, email service, web host, etc. For better or worse, <br />there will be darn few that do. Easier to go to Walmart than eight <br />different stores.<br /><br />Cliff<br />www.cawilliams.us

[TV James]

As someone else said, "spot on!"

You are exactly right. In some tests done by one of my clients on his website, the results from Yahoo! are actually better than Google. If Microsoft, Yahoo! and Google are all competing for the smartest minds who can right the best search algorithms, then how do you stay ahead? You control the content and prevent others from being able to spider it in the first place.<br /><br />When I first read about this, I got that little "GoogleHigh" that I get when Google does something new, because it's usually novel and slightly different from the competition. (After trying to sign in and getting that "you can't get in yet" the high quickly faded and I realized that this might not be that different from GeoCities, FortuneCity, Tripod, Microsoft Office Live or any of the white label site builders offered by your local ISP. (They've got us now getting excited over something that we only know the name of.)<br /><br />But Google's spreading out into so many dissimilar things that it seems like it's going to be difficult for them to really make this anything special or different. I think Yahoo! missed the boat with 360 by not making it easy to link to Blogspot, MSN Spaces, etc., etc. If they had just thrown the doors wide open and let anyone link anything really easily off that page, then no matter where you had websites or blogs or whatever, it's your 360.yahoo.com address that you'd be giving out to people.<br /><br />So I really hope that Google has drawn together Google News, Google Reader, Blogger, Picasa, etc., etc., etc. and that this offering by Google is truly unique and powerful. Otherwise you'll get a bunch of people like me who create something because it's new and it's Google but then let it languish because we don't have time to maintain yet another website.

[cocobongo04]

Yet another unexciting addition

Whenever google sneezes, news.com jumps on the story like a new revolution has occured. This googlepages hardly differs from the blogger solution and like everything else google has been releasing lately, its primitive and dull and wouldn't even make the news if it wasn't attached to the google name.

[207495111267145837975635436522]

Could not agree with more.

It is absolutely true what you say, the Big media of which News.com is one element, report on anything and everything that Google does as it is anything of value or news. And rarely if ever questioning what they do as being of value, etc.<br /><br />I am just waiting for news.com to report again that Google CEO, Sergei, etc. were just paid $1 in salaries! Supposedly indicating how they are "off the people" While not reporting that at the same time they had sold $500Mill in Stocks!

[NWLB]

That is because it is news.

They jump on it because most people want to know about it. If it doesn't excite you, that isn't shocking, Google is at the point where they do good things, that fail to wow some of us as more recent additions did.<br /><br />That is to be expected.<br /><br />Frankly this is a bigger deal than a lot of small things they've done recently. Plus it shows the lights are still on out there.<br /><br />When they open it up for broader use, I'll use it. For what, I don't know. But I'll figure that out later.

[ccatlin]

((grin)) Ok, Google does another FUD =)

Haven't people figured it out yet, Google is just playing in every possible thing it can think of, to keep it's competitors busy, worried and guessing why they do what they do and if there is a reason behind it. =)<br /><br />While people are busy, then they have less time to concentrate and create a real google killer. =)<br /><br />Google's just keeping folks occupied and half these things they are just throwing out there, to keep people guessing at what they are really doing. =)<br /><br />It's like google is now in web pages...maybe, no they are in blogs...maybe, no they are building a worldwide wireless heavy G system...maybe, no they are in telecom and voice over ip...maybe...no they are in newspaper advertising...maybe<br /><br />It's a page from Microsoft's book, as the list gets bigger, competitors can't focus. =)<br /><br />Notice...they said only for web pages...not yet for web sites/domains...even their hints are aimed at muddling the competition's brain. =)<br /><br />Good show Google! It's fun to watch! =)

=) ((GRINNING)) Idiot

As if your thought process wasn't weak enough, but we also <br />have to endure your perpetual use of =) to indicate what? That <br />you're only kidding? Clearly you are not kidding, so keep the <br />smileys to yourself.<br /><br />And no, no one else has figured it out but you. You're a genius, i <br />wouldn't be surprised if all of Google's competitors begin to <br />contact you for more of your visionary insight.<br /><br />By the way, you can't <em>do</em> a FUD.<br /><br />!<br /><br />=)<br /><br />((sneer))

[J.G.]

A gift for newbies?

Maybe this is good for newbies. It will allow them to get the 'feel' <br />of creating a Web page while wearing training wheels. But, for <br />most of us who have been on the Internet a long time, some <br />control over pages or sites we create has become a given. <br /><br />Furthermore, I think many of us ONs (original Netters) have burnt <br />out on creating a webpage at every portal we participate in. That <br />went out in the Talk City and Tripod days among the people I <br />know.

[J.G.]

Google is no monopoly

In regard to our latest rebel(s) without a cause, I must say 'ain't <br />no way." That is, that Google has engaged in unfair competition <br />by using ads to fund itself. (No profits yet, remember.) S.K. <br />and the sock puppet make an amazing error -- conflating <br />advertising of a sector of business with being in that business <br />itself. Google is not a Realtor. It is up to actual Realtors to sell <br />homes. The most any ad service can do is offer the listings of <br />real estate to as broad an audience as it can accomplish. The <br />fact that Google can reach a wide audience is not inherently <br />anti-competitive. For that to be true, it would have to prevent <br />other search engines from reaching wide audiences. The fact <br />that other search engines also have broad audiences for their <br />ads proves that isn't occurring.<br /><br />I believe the search engine the rebel(s) are touting will suffer <br />Internet anoxia. Most people using search engines just want <br />the quickest, most accurate search they can get. Frivolous <br />promises from the host will not persuade users to leave better <br />search engines.

[dewalt25]

I think most people....

throw the word monopoly around like they're playing the board game. Your explanation was on the dot. For example, people think that cable companies are monopolies and should be fined, when in fact, they're called natural monopolies and sanctioned by the authorities. <br /><br />Thanks for clearing up monopolies for the rest

[hutchike]

Oops - has just been patented!

<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&#38;Sect2=HITOFF&#38;p=1&#38;u=/netahtml/search-bool.html&#38;r=1&#38;f=G&#38;l=50&#38;co1=AND&#38;d=ptxt&#38;s1=Balthaser&#38;OS=Balthaser&#38;RS=Balthaser" target="_newWindow">http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&#38;Sect2=HITOFF&#38;p=1&#38;u=/netahtml/search-bool.html&#38;r=1&#38;f=G&#38;l=50&#38;co1=AND&#38;d=ptxt&#38;s1=Balthaser&#38;OS=Balthaser&#38;RS=Balthaser</a>

[J.G.]

An application is not a patent

Sometimes the sheer silliness of some people on the Internet <br />amazes me.

[kookaburrak]

This patent has been awarded

See <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2006/2/emw349397.htm" target="_newWindow">http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2006/2/emw349397.htm</a> - this patent appears to be certainly passed the application phase...I agree that it is so vague and so much similar technology already exists to make this ridiculous - but here it is...

[J.G.]

Patent doubtful, Pages full

Thewebpage people keep citing is for an application, not a patent. <br />I did read the PRESS RELEASE from the company touting the claim. <br />But, getting through the first stage of the patent process does not <br />mean you are actually going to get a patent in the overall process. <br />Something this overbroad will be challenged.<br /><br />As for Google Pages, it is already on hold. Google got its maximum <br />in a couple days. Should have said Pages was a beta.