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web-page-creator posts

Filed under: Design, Internet, web 2.0, Web

Scrapplet: Drag and drop web page creator

Scrapplet
Scrapplet is a new web page creator that's either incredibly easy to use or incredibly complicated, depending on who you ask. Here's the basic idea. Users get a free web page that they can decorate anyway they like. It's kind of like the old GeoCities that way. But Scrapplet is all Web 2.0, in that you can easily add audio, video, and links to your social networking profiles on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and so on.

The way you put together web pages is also interesting. You can add elements like pictures, embedded YouTube videos, or even embedded web pages with just a few clicks. Then you can rearrange elements by dragging and dropping them. Or you can right click on an element to delete it or modify its properties.

Want to use some custom HTML code in the header? You can do that too.

But what really sets Scrapplet apart from other web page builders is that you can embed your entire Scrapplet page on another web site. For example, you could create a Scrapplet page that your local newspaper's front page, weather forecast, and stock news and then embed it in your Facebook profile.

To be honest, the number of options available is a bit overwhelming, and I found it hard to figure out how to do basic things like change the background color of various widgets. But if you're looking for a highly customizable way to build a Netvibes like personal start page or a GeoCities like web site, you might want to check out Scrapplet.

The service offers free accounts which are supported by an ad (which visitors can make go away by clicking). You can also create an ad-free page for $9.95 a month, but at that point you might want to think about paying for a more full featured web hosting plan.

Filed under: Internet, Blogging, Web services

Build easy web pages with Sauropol

Sauropol
Online web page builders are a dime a dozen these days. In fact, they're even cheaper because many will let you build and host a web site for free. But Sauropol is worth mentioning for a couple of reasons.

First, this web site builder and host is incredibly easy to use. You can make a static web page or start a blog in a matter of seconds. And you can add image galleries and forums with the click of a button (although the forum feature seems to be rather limited). And second, while there are only a handful of free templates to choose from at the moment, several of them are actually quite attractive.

Of course, Sauropol's strength is also its weakness. It's easy to use because there aren't a ton of options to choose from. If you want to add custom HTML or change the widgets in your sidebars you'll have a much easier time with WordPress, Blogger, or WiX. You can download and customize page templates by hand, which is nice. But if you've got the technical chops to do that, you probably don't need a free online web page creator in the first place.

Filed under: Internet, Utilities, Web services, Microsoft, Beta

Microsoft launches Popfly web site/mashup creator

Popfly
Microsoft has launched a public beta of a web page creation tool for dummies. That's not what they're calling it (probably due to trademark issues with the folks who make the dummies books), but that's kind of what it is.

The new service, called Popfly, lets you create a web site from scratch without any knowledge of HTML, CSS, or anything else with an acronym. Just choose your style, upload some images if you like, and type away. What sets Popfly apart from the similar Google Page Creator service is that Popfly includes a built-in mashup tool.

What does a mashup tool have to do with creating web pages? Well, it lets you create all sorts of interesting content for your web site by taking bits and pieces of other web-based objects. For example, you can create a slideshow from Flickr photos matching a certain description, or even create an interactive puzzle game from those photos and put it on your site.

The mashup tool is built on Microsoft's Silverlight platform, which is the company's answer to Adobe Flash. You can drag and drop all sorts of objects into your editor, making the whole process pretty simple, if not exactly intuitive. We highly recommend reading the instructions. Not that we wasted a half hour trying to figure things out before looking at the easy to follow instructions on the sidebar.

[via WebWare]

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