Terescia's thoughts and such.

Google has launched a new service that might be of use to authors who are just starting out with a website.

Although it’s my general rule that any author who has a site should have their own domain name (see this article I wrote: Building Your Own Website :: Step 1: Your Domain Name), if you want to test out ideas for your design and for your site, you can certainly take advantage of a free site to get you started.

However, be wary of what you post.

As per Google’s Terms and Conditions:

By submitting, posting or displaying Content on or through Google services which are intended to be available to the general public, you grant Google a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to reproduce, adapt and publish such Content on Google services solely for the purpose of displaying, distributing and promoting Google services.

Google goes on to say:

This license terminates when such Content is removed from the Google service to which you originally submitted.

This offers some protection, because you can remove anything you don’t want them to use. However, anything you leave posted is fair game.

Google then tacks on one more condition:

Google reserves the right to syndicate Content submitted, posted or displayed by you on or through Google services and use that Content in connection with any of the services offered by Google.

Having your own domain and hosting your site with a paid provider offers the most protection to any work you might post online, whether it is your original artwork, your fiction, or a series of articles you’d like to share with others.

Wouldn’t you agree?

Comments welcome.