Why wiki?
From crispyneurons
Since its inception, crispyneurons has been a static site. I used to create and edit the pages using a simple text editor. That's a pretty good way to do things, but the wiki model has a number of advantages over the static HTML/Javascript model.
Crispy is moving to the MediaWiki platform. Here's why:
- Content Management. It's a lot easier to create and edit pages than it was. I can do it in a browser, and I'm spared nearly all of the ordinary HTML tedium.
- Flexibility. I can create custom templates that are available site-wide. All kinds of extensions exist, and I can modify the PHP directly if I want.
- Multiple participants. In the past, only I had the power to create, edit or delete content. Now I have given that power to Heather, and later on others may join in too.
- Talk pages. Each page has an associated meta-page for discussing the page, permitting content about content to be well-structured and easily accessible.
- Built-in search. A dynamic feature included in no static site.
- Revision history. The evolution of every page is recorded and available. Pages can be reverted to prior revisions if needed very easily.
- LaTeX support. Some LaTeX expressions can be rendered directly rather than through something ridiculous like an image.
- It's free. MediaWiki is open source, and works with Apache and PHP, which I already have running.
[edit] Things Still To Figure Out
- How to get the random banner message JavaScript to appear in the header.
- How to give a user a private zone visible only the user (and the superuser) may access.
- How to include the rotating photo JavaScript on my page.
- How to add the featured photo to the left nav.
- How to make pop-up windows containing ordinary flat HTML pages.
- How to increase the PHP file upload size limit.
