[Air-L] wiki tool suggestions?

elw at stderr.org elw at stderr.org
Fri Sep 7 05:48:40 PDT 2007


> I, too, keep coming back to PB Wiki, and so do several people in the 
> institution.


Some critical-engagement-with-technology problems with pbwiki:

1) You're relying entirely on an outside entity to keep the thing running-
    servers up, data intact, reasonably secured against outsiders.  You
    have zero control over any of this, even if you want or suddenly need
    it.

2) What do those "backups" look like, from a data POV?  Can you import
    them into something else usefully?  Without assistance or
    reverse-engineering?  Or are they locked in with the single-source
    pbwiki vendor?

2b) "hey man, where's my source code?"

3) FERPA, privacy, and security.  Are you really comfortable with moving
    your student activities offsite?  Would your campus counsel be
    comfortable with that move?  [I just finished reading the "security"
    documentation pbwiki provides "for IT folks"; I classify it as
    "whitewashing" rather than "whitepaper", and am not at all comfortable
    with the tone of what's presented therein.]


The notion of moving academic activity off-campus and into the hands of a 
commercial entity... well, to be frank, it makes my skin crawl.  There are 
*so many* serious problems that could spring up - it is truly frightening.

--elijah


> -----Original Message-----
> From: air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org
> [mailto:air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of catherine
> middleton
> Sent: 06 September 2007 21:36
> To: air-l at listserv.aoir.org
> Subject: [Air-L] wiki tool suggestions?
>
> Hi all,
>
> I'm looking for suggestions for wiki software to use with a class. I
> don't want to have to install anything, and am of course looking for
> something simple to set up and use. When this question was asked some
> time ago, the following sites were suggested:
>
> http://www.mediawiki.org
> http://phpwiki.sourceforge.net/
> http://moodle.org/
> http://pbwiki.com/
> http://www.seedwiki.com
> http://www.pmwiki.org/
>
> What would you recommend now?



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