How it works/Private WIKIs

Besides the two main components composing this platform (the back-end part represented by this wiki, and the front-end for the navigation among contents within the scope of a single-page-application) a third component completing its design is represented by an arbitrary number of private WIKIs where to store all reserved information and to make them conditionally available on the front-end, for instance to students accessing their own data or the digital representation of their classes, to readers accessing some paid content, and so on: through the combination of a streamlined interface as client, a collaborative wiki for contents intended to the public domain, and an arbitrary number of private wikis managed by the respective owners or by a data controller, every requirement conceivable within the frame of IT, information technology, may be potentially met.

The overall structure of this platform therefore is expected to be composed by a public wiki at this address (1)

https://culturaitaliana.org/wiki

which as mentioned will contain in a shared environment an arbitrary number of organizations at an address like (2)

https://culturaitaliana.org/wiki/[organization username]

then by a general private wiki managed by a specific data controller, at this address (3)

https://culturaitaliana.org/private-wiki/culturaitaliana

and then by an arbitrary number of private wikis at an address like (4)

https://culturaitaliana.org/private-wiki/[organization username]

To be noted that '[organization username]' in (2) corresponds to a wiki page of a shared wiki, while '[organization username]' in (4) corresponds to a username used by the web server to query a specific database (while in (2) the database is the same for all the organizations) so that any related page will reside in a dedicated wiki.

This is an optimal solution in the view of data security, because while a number of Mediawiki extensions allow to restrict access to data based on some privileges, they are not intrinsically secure as long as the database is shared.

On the other side, Cultura italiana offers a model in which a subject requiring the maximum level of confidentiality (taken for granted the value of the information) virtually can manage his own wiki, on his own server, which will be conditionally accessed using specific precautions by a "bot" ensuring interoperability with the components aimed at processing and conditionally disseminating such data: to the extent of the will of rights holder.

On the other side subjects or "users" who do not have the required resources (either in terms of knowledge to manage and configure a server and its applications, or economic to outsource the required skills) can send using some secure channel their confidential data (not intended to the public domain) to the data controller responsible of the general private wiki at [this address], without accessing it directly, and the latter, following the instruction of the first on the basis of a model resulting from a joint effort, will, indeed process such data and will make them available in some profitable way.

Specifically, at present, dedicated private wikis completely managed by a given subject/organization are being used in order to store all organization's confidential data, like internal timetables, accounting, students, teachers, organization's members information (and more) and a general private wiki managed by only one data controller, is being used to store literary contents not intended to the public domain, and to be disseminated "for profit" : not merely by an economic point of view, but aimed at the increment of knowledge, which does not correspond to the maximization of the diffusion, but by the specific modalities through which the dissemination is performed.