Google Drives into web hosting
Simple service from the cloud
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Google Drive has turned on a feature that lets the cloud storage service become a limited web host.
It's long been possible to allow others to access data stored in the service, which can produce a URL for files. The new tweak means it's possible to ask for a “Preview” of an HTML file stored in Google Drive. Doing so renders the page and produces a URL that, once copied and pasted, can be used by anyone to access the page.
The feature is sophisticated enough that a quick bit of coding produced this page, with a lengthy JavaScript and graphics stored in the same Google Drive folder appearing just as the code intends. We've not tested the promised ability to handle CSS.
Google's not said how far the service will scale, but it seems unlikely that will be much of a problem given this is hardly a heavyweight hosting platform. Google's not alone in offering a simple service: Amazon Web Services allows users of its simple storage service to serve static HTML from the “buckets” it uses to contain files.
Amazon charges for the privilege of doing so. Google does not, unless one uses paid versions of its Apps.
In these days of widget-populated free blogging platforms and Facebook it is hard to imagine a stampede towards this new service. Developers, however, may appreciate the extra collaborative opportunities it presents. ®
COMMENTS
why all the Minesweeper hate
This is breaking news. Once Minesweeper goes SaaS Microsoft is finished.
What about Google Sites?
Of course Google has had a web hosting service for some time now. It's called Google Sites, and it's kinda nice actually; I use it to host files for my blogs and the odd web page.
Since nobody ever talks about it I suspected it would be sent to the gallows someday; could this be it?
Re: Seriously?
Companies that don't want their employees to be able to simply upload 5GB of company data to work on at home?
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