In my last post, I wrote about the Akeles Space Lister Extension which can be used when there are many spaces created within Confluence. Another possible way is to avoid creating unnecessary spaces in Confluence. All Confluence administrators should have a checklist on when to create a new space in Confluence.
Spaces in Confluence are similar to folders in Windows. Each space has its independent set of permissions which allows space administrators to set who can view/edit/comment/attach/delete/export content within the space. Users can also search content specifically within the space or syndicate information with macros and the space keys.
Therefore it is very tempting for users to ask for new spaces when there are new information to be shared.
The assessment criteria for a new space can be summarized under the 3 groups:
- Purpose
- Members
- Usage
Purpose
- Are there no other suitable existing spaces to place the content meant for this space?
- Is it better to put the information in Confluence versus shared drives and emails?
Members
- Are the members of this space different from the members of existing spaces?
- Are the members of the space likely to be added/changed in future?
- Is the access right of the space based on job roles?
Usage
- Is there a lot of information to be placed in this new space?
- Is the information within the space going to be accessed very frequently?
If most of the answers are yes, then the need for a new space is most likely to be valid.
Otherwise, the content can be circulated via emails or placed in shared drive. Another possible alternative is to use another existing spaces or to use the page restriction feature available in Confluence. The content can be moved to another new spaces later if necessary.
