Brion Vibber wrote:
Naturally we have some constraints because MediaWiki has to actually work for some purpose. :)
That is most likely the #1 factor why MediaWiki is ahead. Most software is developed for a purpose. Those that developed software without a purpose usually don't get a substantial ground in the market. There are excellent pieces of software out there, but there is no purpose to use them. Wikipedia is the purpose for MediaWiki of course. However, there are obviously side benefits.
Software also gets limited in this sense also. While MediaWiki benefits from Wikipedia, MediaWiki is also limits by the use of Wikipedia. Other purposes have to exist. With Meta, there are some obvious other purposes.
MediaWiki could follow as path of constant modification and customization to make it more powerful. People may want to reconfigure the database layout. They may want to implement a more fine permission systems. Maybe, they want quotas and greater control over file storage. There is already a desire for validation and stable versions. There is already a desire for forums rather than page history for talk. Some of this is limited by PHP itself. PHP would need further customization and modification to make it more powerful for MediaWiki and then Wikipedia. Such customization doesn't stop at Mediawiki itself.
I still have an effort to implement software like MediaWiki in the VM that I have made. I slowly work on it. I just completed a few more features last week. I have to put it on hold for a little while. It had purpose to process a large automated loan document system at one time. It was used until the agency wanted to rid of the main server in favor of a Windows-only network.
Jonathan