Narrative overview of the TiddlyWiki platform

[TonyM]

Folks,

I had it in my mind to summarise a lot of what TiddlyWiki is in a simple narrative, so thought I would share it. Please suggest essential additions..

Why TiddlyWiki?

Do you know what a Wiki is?

A Wiki is website or database developed collaboratively by a community of users, allowing any user to add and edit content.

A key feature is the ease by which you can link information together using hyperlinks tags and more. TiddlyWiki also provides a private wiki if you want.

To understand the value of TiddlyWiki we may start with understanding it is an, open source, single file wiki, that only needs a Browser to read, edit and host. However this understates TiddlyWiki a great deal because it has few limitations and many extensions.

• Some would think of TiddlyWiki as an Application that can be run on any device with a browser or run on a selection of applications that support TiddlyWiki. However your App's include their own design and user interface. With or without a network connection you can do almost anything.
• Others may think of TiddlyWiki as a smart interactive document that contains its own editor, and is as easy to share as any document.
• Store TiddlyWiki on a cloud drive or USB or send it by email. How many other website and apps can you send by email?

Tip: Rename to a .tw file when sending to stop some email systems rejecting it as a threat, after all it is very smart.

• Tiddlywiki's html file format means it is simple to host on the internet so we can also view it as a website, with its own CMS (content management system) built in to design and revise your webpage.
• Easy to download and make your own copy you can own the content you put into your Wiki, no dependence on cloud storage, but you can host it in any cloud storage.
• All you need to do is Copy the file to make a backup, a new version or variation or you can use a myriad of automated backup options.
• You can treat TiddlyWiki as a simple file on your desktop or mobile, or host it so that others on your Local Network or your mobile device (or Tablet) can access it.
• If you open your TiddlyWiki in TiddlyDesktop (Linux/MAC and Windows) you do not need a browser and can interact with files and applications on your desktop allowing a custom environment, in which to keep track of anything on your computer or in your life. Not happy with the way your desktop manages files and Applications? Do it yourself.
• TiddlyWiki can be made into a Hypertext Application to run in internet Explorer simply be renaming to a wikiname.hta file or operate on top of SharePoint and IIS as an wikiname.aspx file or accessed via hostname or domain address.
• TiddlyWiki can also be hosted on a Server on most devices or on the Internet, even make available or publish for free on really simple hosting.
• Server Configurations also permit multi-user, multi-access and user authentication using a multi-file/folder installations where you can have your server or desktop manipulate Tiddlywiki's components out side of TiddlyWiki itself. Great for larger systems , automation and more.
• Using TiddlyWiki on top of a NodeJS server opens other possibilities of integration and hosting, from local hosting only to, a PHP host or deployment on large international cloud platforms.

What is the value of TiddlyWiki being Open source?

• It means it is free to use, change, design and distribute.
• Build your own instances, or editions and share it as much as you want
• Host it where you want on infrastructure you trust
• TiddlyWiki is in many ways self documented, with experienced users being able to see how it works just by having a copy of TiddlyWiki at hand. If you were marooned on a desert island you could keep designing and developing without connection to the outside world.
• It has a large and vital community behind it, always supporting and innovating.
• Open source means if you can no longer locate the author you can learn how to make you own changes.
• As with many open source projects TiddlyWiki uses common internet technologies so while you learn TiddlyWiki you are also learning HTML, CSS, JavaScript and more that gives you transferable and life long skills.

Is TiddlyWiki so special?

If you do not already think TiddlyWiki is the "bees knees" wait until you learn how easy it is to store, organise and find any type of information. From simple note-taking that frees you to invent, to processes and sophisticated databases you build and control yourself. Through filters and plugins you will discover many ways to make the complex simple, to organise and structure data how you want, and design and enhance the way you access your data.

 

It is impossible to share details of all the features available here, and anyway, in some ways TiddlyWiki is only limited by our imagination, and what modern software and the internet can give us.

Is there continuous innovation for TiddlyWiki?

Yes, TiddlyWiki is continuously evolving and Innovating this will be obvious within the next release out soon.

• The Local (Browser) Storage plugin will allow users to interact and save changes even when loading tiddlywiki from read-only sources.
• The InnerWiki plugin will allow TiddlyWiki to spawn in the browser custom versions of itself which can be save to a file, permitting a TiddlyWiki factory to be built, or build elegant documentation notes from real TiddlyWiki examples.

Who will benefit the most from TiddlyWiki?

• Users and designers will benefit from TiddlyWiki, and no one is exempt, but here are a few of the top user cases.
• Students of any Generation
• Academics and Authors
• Professionals of any type especially in Knowledge and Information Technology.
• RPG Gamers wanting to document worlds
• Business owners, community members
• Staff and Individuals

In Conclusion

Adopting the TiddlyWiki platform empowers users and designers alike to take control of the computing power available to us all today. Start on a path of owning not only your own data, but design and build smart documents, websites and applications that you own and choose where they live, without depending on any other business or party. This means you are empowered to improve develop, expand and customise the way you think, work and play. Start on a path of continuous improvement, evolutionary design and skills development that will become a lifelong companion.

 

Learning to use TiddlyWiki for yourself is a key benefit, but so is the ability to publish documents, websites and Applications that share or automate things for friends families, colleagues and customers. Perhaps TiddlyWiki is your route to building the next big thing, because TiddlyWiki is a big thing itself.

Regards

Tony

[Stefan Pfister]

Hi,

impressive text. How can I use TW with an sharepoint account? Is there some kind of documentation?

Regards, 

Stefan

Am Montag, 13. Mai 2019 03:58:18 UTC+2 schrieb TonyM:

Folks,

[@TiddlyTweeter]

Ciao TonyM

Good presentation. What I like is it doesn't get bogged down in explaining setup (platforms + savers); rather it focuses on usage once running. Also the scope is good, phrased in terms of a range of user intents & levels of competence.

Best wishes

Josiah

[TonyM]

Am,

I have not published anything yet. But here is the short form from memory.

Rename a tiddlywiki file to a name.aspx file. Upload to a document library or ideally a sitepages or wiki pages library because they get served faster. Get one user to check it out so others can't save it. Capture the fill link to it or use SharePoint sharing options.

I am in the process of building an internal checkout process so serial editors can use a wiki without fear of overwriting.

Regards
Tony

[A Gloom]

Nice, I'll be studying this to see if I have any suggestions-- been working a lot lately on the local drve & file hosted CMS angle.  Just started playing with x3d files...

Actually passed the link to this to a potential new user to see what their reaction would be.

[TonyM]

Thanks Gloom, I would love to hear the response.

Perhaps a less technical version may help for the computer shy

Regards

Tony