newbie question on multi-user web building

[immanence]

Forgive me. I'm so lost, I don't even know the correct terminology.

Let me try to explain what I'm looking to do.

In 1997 I started with html. Since then I have dabbled with css. Lately, I got into Wordpress (because I couldn't handle the complexity of Movable Type).

In each instance the learning curve has been steep. I find web design a nightmare. It's just not how my head works.

THIS IS THE PROBLEM NOW: I have to design a web interface whereby several people in different parts of the world could build collectively a website, each by contributing, but sort of within an online "office" space, later going public.

The best way I can convey what I mean is to reference the Markup system in MSWord.

I'm looking to find a way to establish a kind of online space for several people to be able to log in, review what is there, change and track changes, leave comments, and basically build a website easily ........ hopefully via some kind of tagging and database system that would automatically categorize things, render pages according to an overall design, and would be robust and secure.

Does anyone have the slightest idea what I'm looking for?

I'm really out there on my own on this one, and I'm flat broke: there's no budget for this project (its a humanitarian project), so I need to find a way forward myself. I just need some help figuring out what exactly I'm looking for!

Is there some kind of template / interface (similar to Wordpress for blogging) that would allow me to do roughly what I'm thinking I need to do?

The main thing is to have a kind of online office for my colleagues in this project: somewhere that be securely logged into, then built from the inside before being available for public viewing.

Does such a thing exist??

Can anyone give guidance?

Much appreciated.
Sorry for my ignorance.
immanence

[menotin]

If you have no money would it not be possible to run one of your computers as the server rather than having to pay for web space, then even the person who is serving from their computer would be able to work from it.

Check out this link

http://www.webdevforums.com/showthread.php?t=2417