MediaWiki Tips

It’s a good start, Wikipedia.

December 6, 2005 on 11:29 pm | In Uncategorized |

Over the last week, WikiPedia has come under increasing fire and criticism after issues of not only incorrect - but defamatory - content were raised.

Today, WikiPedia announced that they will only allow registered members to post new articles. Edits to existing articles, however, can still be performed by anyone.

Now that’s what I call a band-aid. The fact of the matter is, the Wiki must evolve into a platform that allows for more controls. As Wikis disseminate into the hands of ordinary webmasters through open-source programs such as MediaWiki, it becomes all the more important that these software platforms allow the webmasters to decide as to the degree of control over who edits the content, and what content can be edited.

Personally, I have seen many requests for MediaWiki features such as hiding specific pages from certain user groups. Better-defined user groups. And better spam control options.

From the developers of MediaWiki, the response to such requests for more flexible controls has largely been dismissed with, to paraphrase, “That’s not what a Wiki is all about.” I disagree. Wikis are about the flexible dissemination of information. If the platform is no longer viable, then the information is no longer disseminated through it, and the whole idea of the Wiki implodes into a useless, idealistic ball of used-to-be.

It’s time to compromise some of the Wiki’s idealistic vigor for the greater good. And for the protection of innocent bystanders such as John Seigenthaler Sr.