On 15 Sep 2011, at 14:57, Katie Chan wrote:
On 15/09/2011 07:34, Michael Peel wrote:
The downside of moving to wikimedia.org.uk is that we use access to the Single User Login system (we'd have the site on our own server, and I don't believe it's possible to use SUL from outside the WMF's server farm). I'm never sure how useful SUL is to visitors, though... There are a number of upsides to moving, e.g. in terms of being able to easily reconfigure things and add extensions, and reinforcing our independence from the WMF (I've always been a bit uneasy that they host our main site.)
Mike
Most organisation & individuals do not host their website on servers owned by them, but by paying somebody else to host it, or in some case getting it free from the server owner/operator. If you really feel the need to reinforce independence, you can always pay WMF to host the chapter website as if they were a web hosting company.
The thing that worries me is that the WMF isn't a web hosting company (in contrast to e.g. Wikia) - us being able to have a wiki hosted by them is special.
Personally, I don't see a problem WMF willing to host the chapter website for free. The chapter is a non-profit after all, let's not spend money it doesn't need to.
We already have webspace that hosts our blog, donation site, emails, etc. So there's no difference in cost as to whether it's hosted by us or the WMF. (note that the hosting and its management is actually provided to WMUK for free, by myself.)
If you're worrying about independence, I'll worry more about the (proposed) changes to the annual fundraiser to some kind of grants system if and when it applies to the chapter.
Oh, we're doing an awful lot of worrying about that… if only there was a way to pass on a charge for premature grey hairs to the Foundation. ;-)
In terms of SUL, well it's one less login to remember (for the majority of Chapter wiki editors who already have an account on a WMF wiki). Similar to OpenID.
Indeed. It's a shame that SUL doesn't act as an OpenID that others can connect to.
Mike