Confluence is a wiki
. Wiki-wiki is Hawaiian for very quick. A wiki has been defined as the simplest online database that could possibly work. My definition of a wiki is simple and quick web publishing.
This page demonstrates some of the capabilities of Confluence.
Edit This Page
If you are authorized, you can edit this page. You don't need to download the page to your computer, open a word processor, then reload the page onto this web server. Just select the edit tab and edit the page, and press the Update button. It's that simple. (I didn't make this page editable... be patient, you will have an opportunity soon!)
Simple but Attractive Markup
Sometimes there is just too much text. We use text formatting features to direct attention or amplify significance. Text structure on a page can help the reader build a structured mental model of information. Confluence provides simple markup to:
- Enhance text for emphasis or distinction
- Guide the reader with organization and structure
Confluence markup is not HTML. Confluence markup is much simpler than HTML and you can become proficient in minutes. (If you insist you can insert HTML in a Confluence page.)
Revision Management
Who made the last change? What changed? Can we roll back to the previous version? Answers are on the Info tab.
Attachments
Confluence supports attachments of all kinds. Many attachment types are indexed and searchable. Attachment support includes simple but effective versioning.
Access Control
Confluence supports fine control of permissions (view, update, delete). Permissions may be applied at any or all of three levels; the entire Confluence site; a Confluence "space"; or a page. A Confluence administrator defines users and groups of users. A space administrator can control permissions for an entire space. A page editor can control which groups can see or edit a specific page.
Automated Table-of-Contents
Confluence sites have structure. Structure can be automatically maintained and revealed via a Confluence macro, as follows:
How to Learn Confluence
This class emphasizes learning by doing. Please progress through the lessons in the above list. Some lessons allow multiple students to edit lesson content simultaneously. Please be respectful of your peers, don't insert inappropriate content, and do leave enough of the lesson content intact to communicate the lesson instructions.
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