Sunday, March 23, 2008

Google Sites - Hold it!

I've been disappointed with Google Sites.

I wanted to set a site up for the East Midlands Speakers Club and duly registered an account. I got only as far as writing some text on the Home page.

I set up a second page on which I wanted to insert a calendar gadget, and that's where the trouble started. I'd have thought that would have been easy, but oh no. It seems that I have to register independently for yet another Google account in order to create a calendar.

It's all needlessly complicated. Obviously if I want to create a collaborative site, I want to insert a common calendar.

And there's no help for untutored people like me. Google Sites is classed as a Google app, which suggests that only developers have a chance of working out what is required.

Another issue I have is that the interface is clunky. Several themes are offered which enable you to change colour schemes, but how about improving the layout?

All in all, I am not tempted to persevere, and will abandon the project.

Then I discovered MS Sharepoint, which appears to offer the same sort of service. The amount of supporting information is overwhelming, and I haven't a clue how to start. Neither have I seen any statement which shows me how much the service costs potentially. Since this is Microsoft, it will cost.

How sad that I have been reduced to studying for MCTS 70-528 on Easter Sunday, but believe me, it's been raw, cold and snowy.

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