Wiki/Forum Formatting Syntax

[Liquid Fire]

I am building a small wiki module for a "Enterprise Management System" and am thinking about current Wiki formatting syntax.  Lets take one of the more known Wiki system, MediaWiki.  I never understood why Wiki systems like MediaWiki created there own awkward syntax instead of uses HTML which is already well defined and just add to it for wiki specific thing like internal wiki linking and what not.  The only security issue it that you would not want them to be able to insert javascript which can easily be stripped out.  Using HTML also allow the ability for better formatting as you can then also use css too.

 

Are there any other security risks or general reason why you would not what to use html for a Wiki?

[Mchl]

There are other potentially dangerous tags besides < script>, but yeah, all of them can be stripped.

The actual reason I believe is that Wiki syntax is actually easier to learn for someone not HTML savvy. Besides at least in MediaWiki it still allows you to use CSS in many places, and a lot of HTML is available as well.

[DarkWater]

And MediaWiki isn't all "new" syntax.  Take the Math syntax for example (go to any math page and go to edit it and you'll see what I mean).  It's actually the math syntax from LaTeX.  I bet you that other things on the site use LaTeX-like syntax too (I haven't really looked TOO much).

[Mchl]

I think that LaTeX syntax is an add-on and is not part of core MediaWiki distribution.

[Liquid Fire]

The thing is i honestly feel html is much easier to learn the what mediawiki provides.

[Mchl]

There's huge psychological factor to it. If you tell someone, who can barely use word processor, that he has to learn HTML to edit wiki, he will do neither. If you tell him, that he needs to put [[]] on both side of a word, to get link to article named after this word, and put '''around''' the word to make it bold, they can get over it.

 

Also note, that text with wiki syntax is easier to edit, than text full of html tags that obscure content.

[Daniel0]

There is also Textile if you're looking into alternative markup languages.

[dbo]

I'd be more inclined to just use a WYSIWYG editor. Users comfortable with word processors will feel more at home and super users have the ability to do advanced HTML edits where necessary. I've never really understood the point in these other markup languages.