[Cody Dawg]

Our son wants to put up a website. Normally I'd tell him to use www.Homestead.com because it's easy to use and even a 12-year old can use it (it's drop and drag.)

Do any of you recommend a really easy similar interface website building site for Macs, however? Something 12-year olds could handle?

I know that someone here, experts that some of you are, probably has a good recommendation. Homestead is only $4.99 a month so I'm hoping there is something comparable that isn't just Windows based and is also Mac based.

Thanks!

[Xeo]

Well I used dreamhost but they don't have a site builder that I'm aware of. You could teach him how to use GoLive or Dreamweaver.

[itistoday]

Try www.tripod.com. I don't know what they're doing anymore, but I used to use them several years ago when I was about 12. A 12 year old should be able to handle most computer-related things, or quickly learn how (even HTML), but Tripod has a sitebuilder as well.

[euchomai]

There are a ton of easy choices for the month to month hosting, but an easy to use program that makes nice websites is called RapidWeaver. Go to www.realmacsoftware.com to look it up. You can use HTML or use stylized pages, look at this page for an example. Again, it only takes minutes to build a site like this using this program. http://www.mrrigby.com/ (this is not my website, only an example of what you can do easily)

[Sherwin]

?

[Cody Dawg]

Thanks, everyone.

Sherwin, I thought about using a .Mac account and site, but he's paying for it monthly and it's for him and his chess friends and $100 for a few 12-year olds is a bit much. Besides, it's not easy enough for him. He really needs a SiteBuilder kind of place so that it's easy for him.

Thanks for all of your great suggestions!

[Cody Dawg]

Although, did want to say that .Mac would be great, it's just too much money for them. They're trying to do this independently of parents. This is another example of why I wish .Mac were less costly as an up front cost.

[Mafia]

Originally posted by Cody Dawg:
Although, did want to say that .Mac would be great, it's just too much money for them. They're trying to do this independently of parents. This is another example of why I wish .Mac were less costly as an up front cost.

or atleast a smaller package for less money.

[Cody Dawg]

Exactly, Mafia.

[Superchicken]

Screw .mac being a smaller package, how bout it actually being a package. Buy out sub etha edit and tweak the interface a bit to make it more like an iApp, build in something more like contribute, put in some keynote/pages style templates, and drop the price to 50 bucks yearly and I'd be sold! Add in an interface for FTPing. I think it's terribly unfortunate Apple has missed the boat on this. They could even allow for people to have their own non crappy forums.

[OptimusG4]

Why not try RapidWeaver? Seems it's been getting good reviews for web design templates and ease of use.

[SSharon]

Yahoo has free basic hosting and a sitebuilder that I have used with my Mac. Its pretty simple to use, I helped my younger sister build a site with it recently and she is not the most computer savvy.

[Cody Dawg]

Cool idea.

Maybe I'll try that.

Thanks.

[Scifience]

Seriously, if he has any real interest in building a website, have him learn XHTML/CSS, or at least use Dreamweaver or a real web editing application.

As far as hosting, any host will do if you do this.

If you're looking for something with a site builder as well as room to grow, I'll put in a recommendation for my host, 1&1.

For $4.99 a month, they have a "Home" plan that will give you one free domain name, 1000MB of space, 50GB of bandwidth, and a site creator tool. You can see more about their template tool, called "WebsiteCreator" on their site. This would also give him the ability to learn how to design a "real" website with the same hosting plan.

If you decide to go with that, I'd appreciate it if you could use my referral link: http://www.1and1.com/?k_id=6954695 Every little bit helps when you're paying $350 a month for three dedicated servers.

To whoever said to use Yahoo's free hosting: Geocities is *terrible*. Ads everywhere, pop-ups, and allaround awful everything. You get what you pay for.

Edit: For the record, I started my first website at age 10 on a $25 a month hosting plan. I'm now 15 and running a thriving e-business on three dedicated servers and making a few thousand a month. Much better than the typical high school job at McDonalds or some such.

[Truepop]

I second the yahoo thing. well Geocities.com whatever it is now.

[Scifience]

Originally posted by Truepop:
I second the yahoo thing. well Geocities.com whatever it is now.

What do you second? Using it or not using it?

[Truepop]

Originally posted by Scifience:
What do you second? Using it or not using it?

I second using it.

Yahoo has free basic hosting and a sitebuilder that I have used with my Mac. Its pretty simple to use, I helped my younger sister build a site with it recently and she is not the most computer savvy.

[Scifience]

Originally posted by Truepop:
I second using it.

Hmm, okay.

I'm not saying that the price isn't nice, just that it doesn't give you much room to do anything.

15MB of space? That won't hold more than a few pages if you add any pictures, which I am assuming is something you would want on a chess club site.

I'd imagine (from a parent's point of view, anyway) that gunking up a site like that aimed at young kids with Yahoo's often PG-13 ads wouldn't be the best idea.

[Truepop]

...but the site builder is easy to use.

another provider to look in to would be http://www.freeservers.com/

it's as 15MB (I know...), a site builder (don't know how easy), and things like guestbook, polls, and counters.

don't know about ads either. my cousin has a site with them and his address is something.8m.com

[Scifience]

Originally posted by Truepop:
...but the site builder is easy to use.

another provider to look in to would be http://www.freeservers.com/

it's as 15MB (I know...), a site builder (don't know how easy), and things like guestbook, polls, and counters.

don't know about ads either. my cousin has a site with them and his address is something.8m.com

Type in http://news.8m.com/ ... see the pop-ups and the HUUUUGE ad banner? That's why I don't like free hosting, more than due to space limitations or anything else.

My server, for example, has this installed: http://www.sw-soft.com/en/products/p.../addons/ppwse/

It is essentially a Word-type editor that can be accessed from within any browser to create nice-looking pages. Something like that would be much better, IMHO, than those overly generic templates with animated gifs and ad banners that most free hosts provide.

(Oh, and I'm not trying to argue with you Truepop: just trying to point out the cons to free hosting. )

[Chuckit]

Originally posted by Scifience:
15MB of space? That won't hold more than a few pages if you add any pictures, which I am assuming is something you would want on a chess club site.

Assuming each page is 500 KB (which is way larger than most pages need to be), that's still enough room for 25 pages. I'd say that's plenty of space for the average kid and his chess buddies.

That said, I still think Geocities blows. Scifience's host sounds like a good deal to me.

[Truepop]

I didn't think you were.

I just don't see the point in paying for hosting if you aren't going to actually build a site. (note the hypocrisy of truepop.com having no website up...)

I use http://www.totalchoicehosting.com/ $44 a year (or $4 a month) 450MB, 10GB transfer, MySQL databases, and great support.

[Scifience]

Originally posted by Truepop:
I just don't see the point in paying for hosting if you aren't going to actually build a site. (note the hypocrisy of truepop.com having no website up...)

True that.