New MobileMe "Web" folder vs "Sites" folder

[allanmcnyc]

I understand that the .Mac HomePage feature will be discontinued July 7, and editing via HomePage will no longer be possible (I've never used this feature anyway, I always use a simple text editor to make HTML webpages) --- but does this actually mean that the "Sites" folder in my iDisk will no longer be usable for making changes? Will it simply "disappear," or not allow alterations from my side?

Does it mean I will have to re-create all my custom webpages into the new "Web" folder, thereby changing all the homespage.mac.com[username] URLs to web.me.com[username] URLs, if I wan't to change the content periodically? I can't simply do that via my iDisk in the Sites folder anymore?

This will destroy all the links that I or others have to my webpages, it could ruin parts of my business, if I can't update or make changes in the Sites folder any longer.

This is not exactly explained in the notice from MobileMe we received via email yesterday, and I see no authoritative answers to this specific simple question here or in Apple's help areas ...

 

[Pooshka]

Actually, the notice clearly states that your HomePages will exist and work for as long as you wish. However, no more changes can be done to your site after July 7th. Basically, your site will become a frozen hell from that date on. Eventually, you will have to migrate to iWeb if you want your business going. Good luck!

PS: obviously, the Sites directory will continue to exist.

 

[allanmcnyc]

Actually, the notice clearly states that your HomePages will exist and work for as long as you wish. However, no more changes can be done to your site after July 7th. Basically, your site will become a frozen hell from that date on. Eventually, you will have to migrate to iWeb if you want your business going. Good luck!

PS: obviously, the Sites directory will continue to exist.

Yes, of course, the notice clearly states that changes may not be made via "HomePage" after July 7th -- but it does NOT exactly state that the files can no longer be changed or added to OUTSIDE of HomePage,. i.e., via one's own iDisk ... this is very unclear. Not everyone uses HomePage to add to their "Sites" folder, one can simply drag & drop, etc. I'm unclear if this feature of my iDisk will remain or simply evaporate, irrespective of HomePage's disappearance ... ??

 

[Macsterguy]

It may also move to the: iDisk / web / sites folder hmmmm

 

[Pooshka]

The fate of the Sites directory is unknown and unclear indeed. However, I assure you that so long as it's intact, you can interact with it however you want including dragging and dropping, copying, uploading, etc.

 

[Macsterguy]

This is what the "About your iDisk" says:

• Sites: The web pages you create with HomePage are stored in this folder.

• Web: When you use iWeb to publish to the web, it uses this folder to hold what you publish. The Publish button in iWeb puts your published site(s) in the Sites folder within the Web folder, and, and if you provide an RSS feed with what you publish, the feed is placed in the RSS folder within the Web folder. If you create a site using another authoring tool, you can publish the site by copying the files to the Sites folder within the Web folder. This new site can then be browsed using the address http://web.mac.com/username/folder, where "username" is your .Mac user name and "folder" is where you saved the new site on your iDisk. Any iPhoto 6 album you have selected to photocast will be in an iPhoto folder in the Sites folder in the Web folder.

 

[Pooshka]

This is what the "About your iDisk" says:

• Sites: The web pages you create with HomePage are stored in this folder.

• Web: When you use iWeb to publish to the web, it uses this folder to hold what you publish. The Publish button in iWeb puts your published site(s) in the Sites folder within the Web folder, and, and if you provide an RSS feed with what you publish, the feed is placed in the RSS folder within the Web folder. If you create a site using another authoring tool, you can publish the site by copying the files to the Sites folder within the Web folder. This new site can then be browsed using the address http://web.mac.com/username/folder, where "username" is your .Mac user name and "folder" is where you saved the new site on your iDisk. Any iPhoto 6 album you have selected to photocast will be in an iPhoto folder in the Sites folder in the Web folder.

I'm sorry, but what does it have to do with the earlier discussion?

 

[Macsterguy]

I'm sorry, but what does it have to do with the earlier discussion?

Read allanmcnyc's question (thread starter)... Read the "About your iDisk" statement (copied from the text file that is yours and everybody's iDisk).

It answers his question...

 

[jagardner1984]

It doesn't, actually. I have the same question - with a small addition - prior to the availability of the large file sharing facility - I used folders in the Sites folder to share work content with others- totally about 20Gb. None were using the Homepage Webapp - just purely files that could be accessed by anyone and hotlinked too. It will be an enormous pain in the backside to have to move each and every one of these files somewhere else - as those links, are scattered through emails, websites, IMs etc. Whilst I understand the desire to streamline the service, I can see no reason for Apple to turn off editing of the Sites folder on the idisk - and the associated homepage.mac.com url. It does make me wonder what else from .Mac will disappear - how long will .mac email addresses last ?

Whilst there is no mention of turning them off, there was no mention of turning off Homepage a year ago, so I have been happily distributing links for the last year. My question is really this - the FAQ says you can delete or edit files and pages until July 7th 2009 - are they seriously suggesting after that the 20Gb of files will be there, and I will be unable to delete them?

If so, that strikes me as one of the most ridiculous commercial decisions ever - no real benefit to Apple - but a huge inconvenience to millions of .Mac users. Baffling, to say the least

 

[jc1350]

While Apple should clarify the situtation, I think it means that ONLY the homepage as a service will disappear. When Apple says you can't edit the files, it means you can't edit them via the web gui Apple built, but you could probably edit them manually if you wanted to torture yourself. The files will still be on the idisk and you can delete them at will.

 

[macbookairman]

I just talked to a support rep on MobileMe chat, and was told this:

If you have a custom built site you can still make changes to it outside of homepage. Simply homepage will not be accessible for editing of that site.

Assuming he knew what he was talking about, it sounds like we can still edit sites outside of homepage.

 

[allanmcnyc]

I hope that's true, I really do; but if it is, they should announce it, but they chose not to, so I don't trust this. I also spoke with a support representative about a related question: whether it would any longer be possible to "password protect" a custom-made webpage, as it presently is using the HomePage website (that's all I've ever used HomePage for, to add passwords to folders I created myself on my iDisk, NOT using their Homepage tools), and he was thrown by the question, asked around, and finally told me that after July 7th I will be "out in the cold" when it comes to adding passwords to folders using just a web browser -- I will now be required to upgrade my OS, buy iLife and iWeb, and learn who knows how many steps to simply add a password to a site. This which was totally free and easy with web-based Homepage, no extra software needed. So this "improvement" to service obviously involves a DECREASE in their web-based service that requires their loyal customers to suddenly spend a lot more money to buy new software to simply add passwords to custom-made sites that wasn't needed before at all. A marketing gimmick, clearly, an enormous inconvenience and annoyance and cost to those of us paying for their service. I wonder what services will disappear next, creating the need for more upgrades and new software to accomplish what was previuously web-based and free of charge?

 

[allanmcnyc]

new addition to HomePage>>MobileMe FAQ

I just discovered Apple just added this clarification to their FAQ page, which at least gives some hope on this issue:

I published content to homepage.mac.com using my own HTML editor and it's located in the Sites folder of my iDisk. Do I need to do anything?

No. Any content located in your Sites folder (including published HomePage pages), will remain after July 7, and will still be editable with third party HTML editors. However, if you want to make edits to any pages created with the HomePage application, it is recommended that you do so before July 7. This article will be updated at that time with more information on how to manually edit previously published HomePage pages.