I got into a conversation with someone (NB) who was looking for a free way to host their blog. I suggested Blogger, but was immediately shotgunned with:
- It’s not secure.
- I want my own domain.
- It’s not flexible enough.
- I can’t upload documents.
In the end, he needed much more than a blog. Here’s our conversation (roughly)…
Me: It’s not secure?NB: No, I want to require people to login to see my blog. I don’t want it available for the whole world to see.
Me: Blogger has a privatize feature that does just that.
NB: It’s still inflexible. I can’t have normal web pages (non-blog posts). That’s why I use Google Pages. But I don’t really like that either, I’d rather have my own domain [instead of nb.googlepages.com or nb.blogspot.com].
Me: Blogger let’s you have a custom domain. I actually use that on my site. But for your needs you want something a little more than just a private blog. You should take a look at Google Apps. By signing up for their free service, you can use your domain with Google Pages. You’ll also be able to use your own domain for Gmail.
I know that you distribute documents through your website, too. With Google Docs (part of Google Apps), you can have your documents published to your blog, while adding the ability to collaborate with other users.
Whether or not its security is ready for the enterprise, Google Apps can play a powerful role for mobile users, families, non-profits, and small businesses. You get email, document management, shared calendars, and more.
Give Google Apps a try and share your experience here! Would you use it?
