You’d think that it would be hard to out-Google Google but that looks like what Pageflakes has done. If you are a user of Google’s customized homepage with its tabs and applets then you will immediately understand what Pageflakes is doing. The only difference is that Pageflakes is trying to do a lot more.

On your first visit to the Pageflakes site, even without getting an account, you can configure a personalized home page. Although signing up – which is free – is a good idea because your settings become persistent across sessions and you can load your personal configuration by logging in to Pageflakes from any PC..

Pageflakes’ personalization is much like Google’s but with a great range of modules (otherwise called “flakes”) to choose from. These modules include local weather; local, national, and international news; RSS feeds, etc. There are about 30 basic modules available, and about a hundred more developed by third parties.

The Pageflakes interface, in common with Google’s, is tabbed allowing a huge number of modules to be grouped and organized and you can keep your personal configurations (each tab is called a “Page”) private, share it with friends, or make it public. Pages can also be shared as pages (you retain control of the configuration) or as templates (others can modify a copy of your Page). Pageflakes also has an API, which allows the creation of modules by third parties.

Pageflakes is very appealing in its ambitiousness and the size and scope of the community that is building around it. Definitely a service to keep an eye on.

Mark Gibbs is a consultant, author, journalist, columnist and blogger.