About this wiki (technical) - Revision history

Doug: general update, rm responsibility

2025-04-26T10:58:25Z

general update, rm responsibility

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:58, 26 April 2025
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	This wiki is an instance of Mediawiki running on the [[Server\|Server.]] See [[Special:Version]] for detailed information about this instance. Mediawiki was chosen after considering other options and user testing—let's see how long it lasts ⌛		This wiki is an instance of [[mediawikiwiki:MediaWiki\|Mediawiki]] running on the [[Server\|Server.]] See [[Special:Version]] for detailed information about this instance. Mediawiki was chosen after considering other options and user testing—let's see how long it lasts ⌛ Technical work that needs to be done on the wiki is listed on [[Wiki tasks]].
	== History ==		== History ==
	Before this wiki we were using a [https://handbook.kanthaus.online/ handbook]. It ran on GitBook before that got enshittified~~, which~~ took a (~~git~~) repository with a folder hierarchy of markdown files and produced a nice, book-like website. Someone forked GitBook to Honkit, which was a relatively easy migration.		Before this wiki we were using a [https://handbook.kanthaus.online/ handbook]. It ran on GitBook before that got enshittified. GitBook took a ([[Git]]) repository with a folder hierarchy of markdown files and produced a nice, book-like website. Someone forked GitBook to [https://honkit.netlify.app/ Honkit], which we switched to, and was a relatively easy migration.

	Over time it became clear that the barrier to editing the handbook was so high that only very few people were contributing~~, which~~ motivated the search for something else. ~~<nowiki>~~https://www.wikimatrix.org/~~</nowiki>~~ was a useful comparison tool.		Over time it became clear that the barrier to editing the handbook was sufficiently high, that only very few people were contributing. This motivated the search for something else. [https://www.wikimatrix.org/ wikimatrix.org] was a useful comparison tool. This Wikipedia [[wikipedia:Comparison_of_wiki_software\|comparison of wiki software]] is also interesting.

	== Decision considerations ==		== Decision considerations ==
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	== Other organizations using MediaWiki: ==		== Other organizations using MediaWiki: ==

	* Dezentrale: ~~<nowiki>~~https://wiki.dezentrale.space~~</nowiki>~~		* Dezentrale hackerspace Leipzig: https://wiki.dezentrale.space
	* Inventaire: ~~<nowiki>~~https://wiki.inventaire.io~~</nowiki>~~		* Inventaire: https://wiki.inventaire.io
	* Noisebridge: ~~<nowiki>~~https://www.noisebridge.net/~~</nowiki>~~ (cool themes & templates)		* Noisebridge: https://www.noisebridge.net/ (cool themes & templates)
	* Hackerspaces wiki: ~~<nowiki>~~https://wiki.hackerspaces.org~~</nowiki>~~ (cool theme)		* Hackerspaces wiki: https://wiki.hackerspaces.org (cool theme)
	* Baldur's Gate 3 wiki: ~~<nowiki>~~https://bg3.wiki/~~</nowiki>~~ (magnificently themed)		* Baldur's Gate 3 wiki: https://bg3.wiki/ (magnificently themed)
	~~{\| class="wikitable"~~
	~~!Responsible~~
	~~!Since~~
	\|-
	~~\|[[User:Doug]]~~
	~~\|2025~~
	\|}
	[[Category:Meta]]		[[Category:Meta]]

Doug: Reformat

2025-04-07T15:07:28Z

Reformat

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 This wiki is an instance of Mediawiki running on the [[Server|Server.]] See [[Special:Version]] for detailed information about this instance. Mediawiki was chosen after considering other options and user testing—let's see how long it lasts ⌛
 == History ==
 Before this wiki we were using a [https://handbook.kanthaus.online/ handbook]. It ran on GitBook before that got enshittified, which took a (git) repository with a folder hierarchy of markdown files and produced a nice, book-like website. Someone forked GitBook to Honkit, which was a relatively easy migration.
@@ Line 63: / Line 55: @@
 * Hackerspaces wiki: <nowiki>https://wiki.hackerspaces.org</nowiki> (cool theme)
 * Baldur's Gate 3 wiki: <nowiki>https://bg3.wiki/</nowiki> (magnificently themed)
 [[Category:Meta]]

Doug: format + add responsibility

2025-04-07T14:41:54Z

format + add responsibility

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:41, 7 April 2025
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	This wiki is an instance of Mediawiki running on the [[Server\|Server.]] See [[Special:Version]] for detailed information about this instance. Mediawiki was chosen after considering other options and user testing—let's see how long it lasts ⌛		This wiki is an instance of Mediawiki running on the [[Server\|Server.]] See [[Special:Version]] for detailed information about this instance. Mediawiki was chosen after considering other options and user testing—let's see how long it lasts ⌛
			{\| class="wikitable"
			!Responsible
			!Since
			\|-
			\|[[User:Doug]]
			\|2024
			\|}

	Before this wiki we were using a [https://handbook.kanthaus.online/ handbook]. It ~~was originally~~ GitBook before that got enshittified, which took a (git) repository with a folder hierarchy of markdown files and produced a nice, book-like website. Someone forked GitBook to Honkit, which was a relatively easy migration.		== History ==
			Before this wiki we were using a [https://handbook.kanthaus.online/ handbook]. It ran on GitBook before that got enshittified, which took a (git) repository with a folder hierarchy of markdown files and produced a nice, book-like website. Someone forked GitBook to Honkit, which was a relatively easy migration.

	Over time it became clear that the barrier to editing the handbook was so high that only very few people were contributing, which motivated the search for something else. <nowiki>https://www.wikimatrix.org/</nowiki> was a useful comparison tool.		Over time it became clear that the barrier to editing the handbook was so high that only very few people were contributing, which motivated the search for something else. <nowiki>https://www.wikimatrix.org/</nowiki> was a useful comparison tool.

Marynia at 10:00, 29 January 2025

2025-01-29T10:00:23Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:00, 29 January 2025
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	* Hackerspaces wiki: <nowiki>https://wiki.hackerspaces.org</nowiki> (cool theme)		* Hackerspaces wiki: <nowiki>https://wiki.hackerspaces.org</nowiki> (cool theme)
	* Baldur's Gate 3 wiki: <nowiki>https://bg3.wiki/</nowiki> (magnificently themed)		* Baldur's Gate 3 wiki: <nowiki>https://bg3.wiki/</nowiki> (magnificently themed)
			[[Category:Meta]]

Doug: Doug moved page About this wiki to About this wiki (technical)

2024-10-20T19:35:26Z

Doug moved page About this wiki to About this wiki (technical)

← Older revision	Revision as of 21:35, 20 October 2024
(No difference)

Doug: Migration from testing wiki + improvements

2024-10-20T19:35:12Z

Migration from testing wiki + improvements

New page

This wiki is an instance of Mediawiki running on the [[Server|Server.]] See [[Special:Version]] for detailed information about this instance. Mediawiki was chosen after considering other options and user testing—let's see how long it lasts ⌛

Before this wiki we were using a [https://handbook.kanthaus.online/ handbook]. It was originally GitBook before that got enshittified, which took a (git) repository with a folder hierarchy of markdown files and produced a nice, book-like website. Someone forked GitBook to Honkit, which was a relatively easy migration.

Over time it became clear that the barrier to editing the handbook was so high that only very few people were contributing, which motivated the search for something else. <nowiki>https://www.wikimatrix.org/</nowiki> was a useful comparison tool.

== Decision considerations ==

=== Factors for MediaWiki ===

* Very good visual editor
** never need to even look at wikitext syntax unless you want to
** 'in-app' with same UI
** "should" reduce the barrier to use
* Huge adoption
** strength in numbers
** large extension ecology
** likely people have used the software before
* Possible gateway for people into Wikipedia
* Solid development infrastructure
** Wikimedia Foundation
** BlueSpice + other secondary companies

=== Factors against MediaWiki ===

* Database
** No more git
** Can't have a local copy easily
*** If instance goes down, info no longer accessible
** Migration not easy
* Has a huge legacy/emphasis on backwards compatibility
** lot's of janky code that will likely stay janky
** tooling around seems a bit archaic: contribution barrier
* Patchy support for privacy: "MediaWiki was not written to provide per-page access restrictions..." <nowiki>https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Security_issues_with_authorization_extensions</nowiki> despite which:
** Semantic ACL: <nowiki>https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Semantic_ACL</nowiki>
** AccessControl: <nowiki>https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:AccessControl</nowiki> (most doc in czech)
** Lockdown: <nowiki>https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Lockdown</nowiki>
*** Used by Dezentrale <nowiki>https://wiki.dezentrale.space/Special:Version</nowiki> (example on <nowiki>https://wiki.dezentrale.space/Projekte/Schlie%C3%9Fsystem</nowiki>)

=== Other wiki software considered ===

* Wiki.js
** node based, flat-file, has a lot of conveniences built in (like ACL)
** used for <nowiki>https://wiki.diesunddas.xyz/</nowiki>
* Dokuwiki
** php based, flat-file
** used for <nowiki>https://wiki.ecohackerfarm.org/start</nowiki>
* Bookstack

== Other organizations using MediaWiki: ==

* Dezentrale: <nowiki>https://wiki.dezentrale.space</nowiki>
* Inventaire: <nowiki>https://wiki.inventaire.io</nowiki>
* Noisebridge: <nowiki>https://www.noisebridge.net/</nowiki> (cool themes & templates)
* Hackerspaces wiki: <nowiki>https://wiki.hackerspaces.org</nowiki> (cool theme)
* Baldur's Gate 3 wiki: <nowiki>https://bg3.wiki/</nowiki> (magnificently themed)