I have been using Sites a few months now, really underrated feature IMO. Any time I get a quick app idea I just hand it off to Sites and usually get a working prototype within the hour.
For example, here's a game where you are a mouse hunting for cheese in higher dimensional mazes: <a href="https://manifold-six-axis-escape.nathan338932.chatgpt.site/" rel="nofollow">https://manifold-six-axis-escape.nathan338932.chatgpt.site/
Idea came to me while at a concert, was ready to play that same night.
Polished and easy to use website builders have been around for a long time, from Wordpress all the way to Wix.
The fact is, most people aren't builders and never will be. Building software is about formalizing and automating processes, and 95% of folks aren't interested in putting even the most basic effort into improving their business by approching it at a strategic level. Too focused on keeping the lights on and/or more interested in field operations.
For another example look at the many businesses using @gmail addresses to run their business while Google Workplace has streamlined custom domains for a while.
So in practice, ChatGPT Sites will mainly enable software agencies to build websites and offload maintenance to the customer : just manage it from your ChatGPT account. The equivalent of Bring your own cloud for Mom and Pop businesses, and other small companies. Not even sure ChatGPT Sites will create meaningful downward pressure on agency rates.
Oh come on. Sure, it might not be a production-capable system. But comparing an Astra 6/Sol 6.1 powered sites to wordpress and wix is apples and oranges.
An Astra powered site is your representation of a polished and capable business website. For the average joe, a Wix website fits the bill, their representation is not the same as yours. They focus on items such as whether or not the theme is beautiful.
I would bet there’s a (very) nontrivial number of people who have attempted to build something in Wix etc and got bogged down and frustrated enough to quit.
Lots.
I’m a pretty sophisticated user (both a designer and software engineer) and I’ve ragequit several of these tools before.
I hate Wix. I tried it to see if it could streamline things for me about a year and a half ago, and I quickly realized I could set up an Eleventy site, customize it and host it way faster. Now that agents are better and Cloudflare's API is fully exposed, I can have the agent search for a domain, buy it, set it up, set up the site and get it working on pages and probably be done before Wix onboarding was even complete.
That really depends, I needed a suspension geometry calculator, vib coded it rather quickly then did some basic layout adjustments, would have taken me a very long tone to make a anything equivalent with different tools
> Polished and easy to use website builders have been around for a long time, from Wordpress all the way to Wix.
The issue with the Wordpress and Wix is that the site stay polished for approximately 1 second after it has been initially published. In 6mo~1yr it's unmaintainable pile of dogshit that is easier to redo from scratch.
nathanfig · · focus · HN ↗
For example, here's a game where you are a mouse hunting for cheese in higher dimensional mazes: <a href="https://manifold-six-axis-escape.nathan338932.chatgpt.site/" rel="nofollow">https://manifold-six-axis-escape.nathan338932.chatgpt.site/
Idea came to me while at a concert, was ready to play that same night.
rednb · · focus · HN ↗
The fact is, most people aren't builders and never will be. Building software is about formalizing and automating processes, and 95% of folks aren't interested in putting even the most basic effort into improving their business by approching it at a strategic level. Too focused on keeping the lights on and/or more interested in field operations.
For another example look at the many businesses using @gmail addresses to run their business while Google Workplace has streamlined custom domains for a while.
So in practice, ChatGPT Sites will mainly enable software agencies to build websites and offload maintenance to the customer : just manage it from your ChatGPT account. The equivalent of Bring your own cloud for Mom and Pop businesses, and other small companies. Not even sure ChatGPT Sites will create meaningful downward pressure on agency rates.
Lesson learned the hard way.
throwaway314155 · · focus · HN ↗
rednb · · focus · HN ↗
estearum · · focus · HN ↗
Lots.
I’m a pretty sophisticated user (both a designer and software engineer) and I’ve ragequit several of these tools before.
sixtyj · · focus · HN ↗
CuriouslyC · · focus · HN ↗
3edd2 · · focus · HN ↗
hollowturtle · · focus · HN ↗
jmathai · · focus · HN ↗
I’m convinced that’s the only reason Wordpress is still popular. The administrative experience was atrocious. Actually, that is an understatement.
trainsarebetter · · focus · HN ↗
xcafebabe · · focus · HN ↗
3edd2 · · focus · HN ↗
Whats going to happen is a) easier to shop around for agencies b) expectations of agencies to go up c) deflation etc etc.
maxgashkov · · focus · HN ↗
The issue with the Wordpress and Wix is that the site stay polished for approximately 1 second after it has been initially published. In 6mo~1yr it's unmaintainable pile of dogshit that is easier to redo from scratch.
hackerbeat · · focus · HN ↗
sick_of_slop · · focus · HN ↗
isqueiros · · focus · HN ↗
3edd2 · · focus · HN ↗
But no.. lol. This place has limited deep thinker's who understand why humans prefer what they do.