Google Page Creator: Free Online WYSIWYG

The big question on everyone's mind these days has been "What will Google do next?" Well, yesterday they responded to that question by releasing the beta version of Google Page Creator, a free Web-based WYSIWYG tool that lets you create Web pages easily even if you don't have any technical Web design know-how. There is no software to download, and the pages you create will show up in Google's search engine results within only a few hours of publication.

While the idea of a Web-based WYSIWIG is certainly nothing new (e.g., Lycos Tripod). Google has it within their power to do something incredible with the concept. Already they've outdone the competition by offering 100MB of free storage space. Editing your page is simple; just start typing in the text boxes. The beta version offers some basic tools to change the size and style of the text, insert images and create hyperlinks. Any changes you make to your page(s) are saved automatically if you close your browser window or visit another site so the fear of accidently losing the work you've done is completely eliminated.

Though Google recommends using Blogger to create pages that update regularly, I ask, why stop there? Static seems so boring these days. Why not give us the ability to add RSS feeds, maybe even offer integration with third-party Web services like 30 Boxes, or Upcoming.org. Let people build communities by offering quick ways to join groups or finding similar sites made with Google Page Creator in the same vein as Google Ads. I'd also like to see the ability to add audio and video players, maybe some streaming audio... a girl can dream, can't she? For now, I think it's safe to say "Hey Google, thanks for the phat loot. Those of us who were lucky enough to score a beta account while the gettin' was good will patiently wait for features like those and enjoy playing around with the basics."