Description:
Macromedia Contribute is an easy-to-use Web page editor designed for nontechnical users. The software is not intended to be a standalone product, so it's not for individuals looking for a Web editor. The assumption behind Contribute is that larger Web sites have designers, programmers, and administrators who make things work well and look good, while others provide the content. This product is for those others. For the end user, Contribute is delightfully simple. It works like a Web browser, but with Edit Page and New Page buttons. Once in edit mode, you can use it like a word processor, with good control over formatting and the ability to add images and tables. You can also insert Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and Flash movies. Once you are done, you can choose between publishing to the Web and saving changes for later. The program keeps copies of old versions, so you can backtrack if necessary. Web site administrators will find Contribute thoughtfully designed. The administration tools give you fine control over what users can do and which pages they can edit. The basic settings let you protect scripts and forms, or restrict editing to just text and formatting. More advanced options are possible using Dreamweaver MX templates, which allow you to create editable and noneditable regions. Word and Excel documents are sensibly filtered before insertion, to strip out unnecessary HTML. Before committing to Contribute, you should review its limitations. Users have no access to HTML source and, in general, the editing features are deliberately restricted. It is also designed for static content only, and isn't suitable for sites that store content in a database or content management system. This is a fine product and a great concept, but for some Web sites it will be just a bit too restrictive. --Tim Anderson, Amazon.co.uk
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