It is really a shocking news that Google is going to collapse it’s Google Page Creator (GPC). Instead of GPC they are introducing Google Sites (GS). I’ve noticed it recently. I couldn’t resist my surprise at this news. GPC is a simple way to create web pages without knowing HTML. GPC’s rich text editor is now included in many other Google services, but Google decided to focus on the more powerful GS. Google doesn’t allow new users to sign up for GPC. While current users are still able to use the services of GPC, new users are being directed to its sister site, Google Sites. Google is expected to move all Page Creator content to Google Pages later in the year.
Google Sites is almost similar to GPC. I said ‘almost’ because it doesn’t allow users to upload any HTML file. Which means users have to pick the websites’ look from GS’s default template; users don’t have any privilege to set their own HTML pages. It is a bad news for me, because all of my GPC sites are using their own HTML files not GPC’s default one. Though Google said that they will shift all the files, images and web pages stored in GPC to Google Sites later this year, this may be a concern for some as it will lead to broken links because GS and GPC follows a different URL structure. More over as GS doesn’t support any uploaded HTML pages, the transition may permanently delete all of those unsupported files. To me, GPC is far far better than GS.
I actually have no idea why Google is closing their one of the most popular web services. Google Sites is nothing more than a wiki. Do the people need a website or a wiki for their personal or business homepage? Google is saying that GS is more powerful than GPC as GS uses the contents management. Well… this is the only thing the GPC is lacking of. Wouldn’t it be better if the feature is added in GPC? Wiki is obviously an important feature in today’s internet, but people will not like it as their home page. So, what if both GPC and GS are staying side by side? I don’t any necessity of closing either one for surviving the other.
Users of GPC is already depressed hearing this news. They still believe that GPC will not be closed at all some how. They have also taken an initiative to save the GPC by a petition. The same debate is going on Google Page Creator Discussion Group. I recommend every GPC user to sign the petition. And above all I still believe that the world really still needs Google Page Creator. So a request to Google, “Can’t you please save the Google Page Creator from it’s termination!“