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