There is this old guy I know who likes to read the news and go to different blogs.
He used to visit this “portal” which had links to dozens of his favorite sites/columnists, but unfortunately they changed the site and removed all of the links.
I was thinking that it might be nice to build him a very very simple website that has hard-coded links to all of his favorite websites. (Think 1995)
The problem, of course, is how/where to host such a website?!
In “the good ol days”, you could create a web page or basic website on something like GeoCities for free, but I’m not sure what a person is to do in 2014?! :-/
My end goal is to help this senior citizen have an easy way to visit all of his favorite websites without having to Google each one.
Oh, BTW, he does not have a computer!! (He uses the public access computers at the local library, which is where we met.)
That is why I thinking it would be nice to create him a web page with, say, his 100 favorite websites, and then all he would have to do is remember one URL when he visits the library and wants to read things.
Follow me?
Is there any way to accomplish this for free and without need a domain and web hosting account??
They have recovered/archived old GeoCities pages (not all, they say), and maybe the page of your senior is among them.
It is impossible to edit these pages (for cleaning or adding links etc.), but for the time being it could be a starting point.
He was going to some news portal that re-did their website, and in the process dropped links to all outside websites/bloggers. (Maybe people were clicking on the links and not coming back?!)
So if he shows some interest, I thought it might be cool to build him a customized News Portal - really a “landing page” - which has all of his old links on it.
But it has to be something where…
1.) It is free to him
2.) Requires no Domain or Web Hosting
3.) Ideally allows the upload of raw HTML and CSS files (versus some wizard)
4.) Requires minimal Registration and Logging in as to not scare him off
5.) Something he can access from any browser and any public site (e.g. Public Library)
In the old days, GeoCities would have met all of those needs except maybe #3.
Do you only read every third post? There have been a few posts suggesting options already. I have a list of some other similar options, but I can’t tell if you are reading the whole thread or not.[/ot]
I don’t know if your point (3) can be fulfilled (raw HTML and CSS).
The only major problem I see is point (4). For opening of a Google account to get started an e-mail address is needed, and without computer it’s kind of problematic.
But the same will play for any other free hosting and free domain name: somebody with a computer will have to make the registration. After that, he can enter the page(s) with the password, if it is not a public page.
I just meant the ability for me to write my own HTML and CSS and then use that on the website. (I don’t care if they have an upload wizard, I just don’t want a “Website Builder” type thing were you have no control over the code.)
He should be able to register a Gmail account at the library, right?
Yes, that’s what I understood.
Only I didn’t know if a Google Site could do that: “I don’t know if your point (3) can be fulfilled (raw HTML and CSS).” - Not “impossible”, but “to be or not to be, don’t know”: for me an open question, as I have no experience with Google Sites.
But now I know (within 1 min.)!
How come? If I don’t know something and want to know it, I just ask … Google!
First hit on the result pages: “Sites > Help > Beginner’s guide to creating a site > Editing your site” - "(…) Click the HTML button to edit the HTML on your site. Please keep in mind that we do limit the amount of editing that can be done. Some advanced coding won’t work. " *)
And this is the first hit on the A pages: “Insert custom HTML, CSS, and Javascript - Sites Help - Google Help” > “With the HTML Box tool, you can add HTML, CSS and Javascript into a Google Sites page. The tool lets you add functional CSS and Javascript to customize the … etc.” **)
Miraculous, search engines giving exactly the answers on your questions. Tip: try it! - It’s often way faster than making a forum post and waiting for a forum answer.
*) For a simple page, like you said, I think no advanced coding is needed.
**) I guess (not 100% sure), that custom css has to be embedded in the <head> section of the page(s), and not as separate stylesheet (asking a separate file saving somewhere on the Google server). But if it’s only 1 page, it will not be a problem for the page speed to put CSS in the head: it is even faster. And if it will be few more pages, then a copy/paste is easy done.
