Wiki farm: Difference between revisions

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Text replacement - "Wiki Backups" to "Wiki database backup"
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*Cost often appears nominally to be lower, as the task of obtaining [[:Category:Advertising|advertising]] revenue has already been handled by the wiki farm.
*Cost often appears nominally to be lower, as the task of obtaining [[:Category:Advertising|advertising]] revenue has already been handled by the wiki farm.
*Wiki-specific technical support tends to be available, although response time may vary considerably between host providers.  This is often preferred to [[:Category:Commercial|commercial]] hosts, whose role is solely to provide [[:Category:Server|server]] space; and not to support specific [[:Category:Database|database]] (and other user software) applications (such as a wiki).
*Wiki-specific technical support tends to be available, although response time may vary considerably between host providers.  This is often preferred to [[:Category:Commercial|commercial]] hosts, whose role is solely to provide [[:Category:Server|server]] space; and not to support specific [[:Category:Database|database]] (and other user software) applications (such as a wiki).
*Some wiki farms provide automatic [[:Category:Wiki Backups|backup]] of individual wiki sites, with said backup 'dumps' available to download, store and use the file elsewhere ([[mirror]] or [[fork]]).
*Some wiki farms provide automatic [[:Category:Wiki database backup|backup]] of individual wiki sites, with said backup 'dumps' available to download, store and use the file elsewhere ([[mirror]] or [[fork]]).


===Limitations===
===Limitations===
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*Who owns the content?  Under what [[:Category:Wiki license|license]], and does that license allow unrestricted [[:Category:Commercial|commercial]] use of your content by others?
*Who owns the content?  Under what [[:Category:Wiki license|license]], and does that license allow unrestricted [[:Category:Commercial|commercial]] use of your content by others?
*Who owns the project name, [[:Category:WikiLogo|logo]], and any other identifiers?  Can you be confident that the wiki farm doesn't plan to take them from you and claim ownership for them themselves?
*Who owns the project name, [[:Category:WikiLogo|logo]], and any other identifiers?  Can you be confident that the wiki farm doesn't plan to take them from you and claim ownership for them themselves?
*What happens if you attempt to move (aka [[fork]]) your wiki project to another host?  Do you have access to [[:Category:Wiki Backups|download]] both your database ''and'' your [[user list]]?  Will that original wiki farm continue to operate your old wiki site (as a '[[spoon]]') in direct competition with your wiki site on your new provider (as [[:Category:Wikia|Wikia]] have always done)?
*What happens if you attempt to move (aka [[fork]]) your wiki project to another host?  Do you have access to [[:Category:Wiki database backup|download]] both your database ''and'' your [[user list]]?  Will that original wiki farm continue to operate your old wiki site (as a '[[spoon]]') in direct competition with your wiki site on your new provider (as [[:Category:Wikia|Wikia]] have always done)?
*What is the response time, and capacity of the [[:Category:Server|server]] (or servers)?  Wiki (and dynamic content in general) are [[:Category:Database|database]]-intensive, leading wiki farms to often be much slower than the average for most other [[:Category:Internet|internet]] sites.
*What is the response time, and capacity of the [[:Category:Server|server]] (or servers)?  Wiki (and dynamic content in general) are [[:Category:Database|database]]-intensive, leading wiki farms to often be much slower than the average for most other [[:Category:Internet|internet]] sites.
*What is the quality of technical support?  Are existing wiki farm [[user]]s getting speedy resolution of any problems, or waiting months for resolution of minor issues?  As a wiki farm typically does not provide the same [[Sysop|sysadmin]]-level access as an ordinary commercial web-host, you are relying on others to maintain your server for you; how do they rate?
*What is the quality of technical support?  Are existing wiki farm [[user]]s getting speedy resolution of any problems, or waiting months for resolution of minor issues?  As a wiki farm typically does not provide the same [[Sysop|sysadmin]]-level access as an ordinary commercial web-host, you are relying on others to maintain your server for you; how do they rate?
*Where are the [[:Category:Wiki Backups|backups]] of your project-critical data?  Are you free to download a copy as a precaution, and will that copy be up-to-date and [[List of wiki backups|complete]]?
*Where are the [[:Category:Wiki database backup|backups]] of your project-critical data?  Are you free to download a copy as a precaution, and will that copy be up-to-date and [[List of wiki backups|complete]]?
*What [[:Category:Software|software]], [[:Category:Plugin|plugins]], [[:Category:Extension|extensions]], and [[:Category:Skins|skins]] are available (if any)?  If the setup is a bog-standard 'cookie-cutter' duplicate of every other wiki on the farm, is the choice of wiki software one that totally meets your needs?
*What [[:Category:Software|software]], [[:Category:Plugin|plugins]], [[:Category:Extension|extensions]], and [[:Category:Skins|skins]] are available (if any)?  If the setup is a bog-standard 'cookie-cutter' duplicate of every other wiki on the farm, is the choice of wiki software one that totally meets your needs?
*What are the restrictions on [[:Category:Wiki Topic|topics]] or content on each site?  Is the wiki farm willing to operate your wiki as you originally envisioned it, or will they reject your topic outright (or even worse, reject <u>after</u> you start building your content) for any number of arbitrary reasons, varying from your choice of name and license to overlap with other existing projects on the site?
*What are the restrictions on [[:Category:Wiki Topic|topics]] or content on each site?  Is the wiki farm willing to operate your wiki as you originally envisioned it, or will they reject your topic outright (or even worse, reject <u>after</u> you start building your content) for any number of arbitrary reasons, varying from your choice of name and license to overlap with other existing projects on the site?