Introduction framework
Wikisphere is a framework finalized to provide third-party WIKIs which develop the concept of Enterprise Mediawiki with state-of-the-art tools and resources to maximize their productivity and interoperability of data. Wikisphere is inspired by the following principles or implements the following features:
- Separation between management of data (inserting, updating, managing information) and their use and presentation. Mediawiki is used as a database administration and visualization system, where data can be created and shaped in a collaborative way, while the access and use of data is delegated to single-page applications or apps
- Focus on structured data (specifically through the use of Semantic MediaWiki and PageForms) and their interoperability
- Page ownership, both on public and private WIKIs, as a mean to let specific users or groups to transparently manage specific set of pages, instead than as a mean to conceal sensitive information
Such principles determine a specific set of features or can be extended with corollaries. For instance the point 1) implies that the skin used has a secondary importance, being only used by contributors, or that the practical aspect and robustness must take precedence over appearance, and the latter should not diverge much from standard WIKIs, represented by Wikipedia and Mediawiki.org.
The point 2) implies the offer, on Wikisphere.org of ready-for-use data structures (i.e. "forms", with all related components) which can be downloaded and immediately used on third party WIKIs thanks to the extension Page Exchange, and even requested on demand, which realizes precisely the idea of a distributed database based on a known vocabulary. Moreover, the concept of interoperability of data, on that basis, may lead to the scenario in which all the WIKIs with the proper Wikisphere extension installed, are able to serve their information within a shared portal, of course featuring the characteristics of a SPA or an app as mentioned in the point 1)
The point 3) implies the adoption of "spaces", and because Wikisphere implements them simply as pages combined with their sub-pages (since an "owner", either a user or a group, is assigned with one or more pages and an arbitrary number of sub-pages within them) it leads to the enhancement of this aspect along all the chain of functionalities of the wiki, like page titles, internal links and file upload.
At this regard, uploading files on Wikisphere through Visual editor, will bring you to the screen shown on the picture on the right where it is to be noted the "upload under current page" checkbox, which in fact allows the upload of files under the current page (therefore inheriting its path) in such a way that authors are finally free to leave pictures with their own names, even totally generic, inasmuch as, internally, they will be characterized by their path!
Besides that, this feature allows to group all the files of a given owner in the file-system (both real and virtual), for an easier and more secure management. (in the mentioned picture one might also note that the description field has been removed and the sometimes inappropriate label "This is my own work" has been replaced with the more relevant "I agree with the upload policy of this wiki" checked by default: the idea besides that is that on "Enterprise" WIKIs the upload itself should avoid to contain blocking options, and the data related to uploaded pictures are expected to be inserted within a certain time-lapse following the upload, and that of course could be managed through an extension allowing to set licences, authors, description, source, copyright holder, etc., through a spreadsheet in a bulk way and where missing)