Alternatives to Google Page Creator - Google Sites Comparison

Google Sites
With Google Page Creator being eliminated, I have decided to do a quick comparison of Google Page Creator (GPC) and Google Sites. I have put this together to aid in making a decision on where to migrate my Google Page Creator site to.

This comparison is not exhaustive, but centered around the key features of GPC

Feature Comparison
Branding
Item	Google Page Creator	Google Sites
Domain Name Integration	Your domain name was used as the root for all pages	Your Domain Name redirects to http://sites.google.com/a/domain by default, but you can map individual Google Sites to different DNS names (i.e. www.yourdomain.com can map to a specific site. This is new, and available for Google Apps for Domain users
FavIcon	You can brand your site with a FavIcon using simple Javascript	No support for FavIcon (except Googles icon)
Themes	Each page could have a different theme and with CSS you had pretty fine control over presentation of the site.	Themes apply to the whole site. You can modify additional properties of the theme like colors and fonts and some background images.
Technology
Item	Google Page Creator	Google Sites
Javascript	Javascript is allowed on pages.	Javascript is NOT allowed on pages
CSS	You can integration custom CSS files using Javascript to direct the client to load the file.	You cannot integrate custom CSS Files
Google Analytics	You can add Analytics via javascript. You have control over how each page is tracked.	You can track whole site with form entry for Analytics Account
Google Adsense	You can add Adsense ad blocks via javascript	Adsense not supported
Google Gadgets	Supported	Supported, but not ones that run Javascript on the client
Google Webmasters Tools	Supported via uploaded file.	Supported via a form to add the Meta Tag.
Other Webmasters Tools	Supported via uploaded files.	Not supported. You can add their meta tag, but Google replaces the name with Google's.
Static Files	Can upload files via HTTP to root directory. Cannot make sub directories.	Can upload via HTTP into a file cabinet. Site visitors can see if the file cabinet is visible.
Limits	Maximum Files = 500 Maximum Space = 100 MB Maximum File Size = 10 MB Themes = 41	Maximum Space = 100 MB for non Domain account and 10GB for Google Apps for Domains account Maximum File Size = 10 MB Themes = 23
Google Docs Integration	Integration via Google Gadgets	Good built-in integration via editor
Editor
Item	Google Page Creator	Google Sites
Tables	You can create tables manually with HTML code	Editor includes built in table editor.
Page Layout	Supports 5 Page Layouts	Supports 2 Layouts (with Permanent Side Bar which can be moved left or right - (This makes 4 total layouts))
Navigation	Create your own navigation and breadcrumbs and sitemaps.	Automatically creates navigation, breadcrumbs and sitemaps.
Comments	Cannot incorporate comments from visitors	Can incorporate comments from visitors

Summary
Google Sites seems to be a fair replacement for Google Page Creator with a few exceptions.

1. Branding: If Favicons and tweeks to site presentation using CSS are required
2. Javascript: If there is functionality that requires Javascript
   
3. Adsense: If you want to monetize your site.
   

If you site requires any of these three items, then Google Sites is not a good choice for you. However, if these are not important, then Google Sites is a very easy to use and functional tool set.

Related Posts:
GPC to Office Live Comparision
GPC to Weebly Comparision

Review my Delicious Links related to this Post at http://delicious.com/tim.alosi/gpc

Alternatives to Google Page Creater - Officelive.com Comparison

Office Live Comparison
With Google Page Creator being eliminated, I have decided to do a quick comparison of Google Page Creator (GPC) and OfficeLive.com . I have put this together to aid in making a decision on where to migrate my Google Page Creator site to.

This comparison is not exhaustive, but centered around the key features of GPC


Officelive.com is a Microsoft web service that is similar to Google Apps for Domains. Officelive.com offers domain tools such as email, document collaboration and blog functionality in addition to web page hosting.


For the purpose of this comparison, I will just be looking at Officelive.com web page hosting.

Feature Comparison
Branding
Item	Google Page Creator	Officelive
Domain Name Integration	Your domain name was used as the root for all pages	Your Domain Name can be used as the root for your web pages.
FavIcon	You can brand your site with a FavIcon using simple Javascript	You can brand your site with a FavIcon using simple Javascript
Themes	Each page could have a different theme and with CSS you had pretty fine control over presentation of the site.	You need to select a theme and color scheme for your entire site. However, you can mix and match as well as use CSS for fine tuning and tweaking.
Technology
Item	Google Page Creator	Officelive.com
Javascript	Javascript is allowed on pages.	Javascript is allowed on pages
CSS	You can integration custom CSS files using Javascript to direct the client to load the file.	You can create site wide CSS code in the editor without requiring javascript
Google Analytics	You can add Analytics via javascript. You have control over how each page is tracked.	You can add Analytics via javascript. You have control over how each page is tracked.
Google Adsense	You can add Adsense ad blocks via javascript	You can add Adsense ad blocks via javascript
Google Gadgets	Supported	You can add google gadgets and microsoft widgets as well
Google Webmasters Tools	Supported via uploaded file.	Supported via uploaded file or meta tag.
Other Webmasters Tools	Supported via uploaded files.	Supported via uploaded file or meta tag.
Static Files	Can upload files via HTTP to root directory. Cannot make sub directories. Can upload pages you created in other web design tools (i.e. iWeb)	Can upload via HTTP into a Documents gallery and images into a Image gallery. Site visitors may be able to see the files depending on permissions. Can upload pages you created in other web design tools (i.e. iWeb)
Limits	Maximum Files = 500 Maximum Space = 100 MB Maximum File Size = 10 MB Themes = 41	Maximum Space = 30 MB Maximum File Size = ?? MB Themes = Unique combinations > 500
Google Docs Integration	Integration via Google Gadgets	Integration via Google Gadgets
Editor
Item	Google Page Creator	Officelive.com
Tables	You can create tables manually with HTML code	Editor includes built in table editor.
Page Layout	Supports 5 Page Layouts	Supports 11 Page Layouts
Navigation	Create your own navigation and breadcrumbs and sitemaps.	Automatically creates navigation, breadcrumbs and sitemaps. NOTE: The built in navigation is done with scripting, so I recommend that you add some standard links to help search engines index your pages.
Comments	Cannot incorporate comments from visitors	Cannot incorporate comments from visitors

Summary
Officelive.com has all the features (and a few more) that Google Pages had, and it is priced the same (free). In addition, if you are using Google Apps for Domains, you can move your whole domain to office live, or just your web pages.


In general, if you are finding that Google Sites (see my post on a Google Sites comparison) does not have what you are looking for, Officelive.com seems like a very good alternative.

Note: If you site contains many cross links, GPC pages did not have a file extension at the end (i.e. http://www.timalosi.com/about) where as weebly uses a .aspx extension and links without the extension will return a 404 error. (This is most unfortunate)

Related Posts:
GPC to Google Sites Comparision
GPC to Weebly Comparision

Review my Delicious Links related to this Post at http://delicious.com/tim.alosi/gpc

Google Disappoints by Eliminating Google Page Creator

I was wondering what my next post would be about and, unfortunately, I now have a topic.  I was disappointed yesterday when I went to make some changes to my site (http://www.timalosi.com ) to add preview thumbnails (a topic for another post), and I was informed that my site, which is Google Page Creator based (via Google Apps for Domains) is scheduled for migration to Google Sites.  At first I was, "Well ok, perhaps they are merging functionality?!?", but apparently that is not the case. After a quick search I located the official announcement at http://groups.google.com/group/GPC-How-to/msg/1260f67111144902.    In a word ... disappointed.


Google Sites ... Are they Crazy?
 I do use Google Sites, but in general, I have been underwhelmed by the functionality (more aptly the lack of functionality of Google Sites).


Currently my biggest concerns with Google Sites are:

• Designed more like a collaboration site (ala Sharepoint) than web site, but without most of the better features of Sharepoint.
• Limited layout templates.  Google Page Creator uses the paradigm of a traditional site, and allows you better control over headers and footers.  In general, I find that GPC provides better control over the appearance of the site.
• No javascript or CSS.  This is perhaps the biggest one for me.  I don't use much javascript, but there are some elements that I am unwilling to give up at this time, and CSS and Javascript is important to providing those features.  

So I am faced with a dilemma.  I have embraced Google for much of my basic web presence (Blogger, Google Apps for Domains, Google Page Creator, Google Sites, Analytics, Adsense, Gmail and more), but I simply cannot see loosing the functionality that I currently use.  It looks like I am faced with migrating away from Google Apps for Domains to host my web pages.


So, over the next few weeks, I'll be evaluating my options.  I'll be posting my observations and opinions in some future posts.


Alternatives to Google Page Creator
To start, I am going to take a look at:

• Google Sites (http://sites.google.com ) ... I will take another look to make sure I give them a fair chance.
  
• Microsoft Office Live (http://officelive.com )
  
• Blogger (http://www.blogger.com ) ... I am curious if I can achieve the functionality from this platform.

I will also look for additional alternatives to Google Page Creator


If you are also running a GPC site and would like to petition Google to rethink their decision, check out the online petition at (http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/googlepagesalive/).


Check out my Delicious Links related to this post at http://www.delicious.com/tim.alosi/gpc