01305: Enable meta generator header in HTML output

Summary: Enable meta generator header in HTML output
Created: 2012-12-10 14:26
Status: Open
Category: CoreCandidate
From: Petko
Assigned:
Priority: 43332
Version:
OS:

Description: From Eric Forgeot on the mailing list:

PmWiki should display a Meta Generator, like some other CMS do, for example for WordPress there is: <meta name="generator"content="WordPress 3.2.1"/> It would help advertise the PmWiki technology to webmasters who stumble upon a website using PmWiki.


This one is very easy to implement for different skins, by simply adding a new entry in the $HTMLHeaderFmt array.

I think an invisible meta generator tag can in fact help webmasters to find PmWiki, and it can help us if we need to debug a remote site.

OTOH, I am opposed to forced links, buttons or other advertizing. Since the beginning, people have told me they use PmWiki because PmWiki sites didn't look like the sites by other wiki engines (notably Dokuwiki and Mediawiki) but look like professional websites. Any admin who wants to put a link to PmWiki can do it, but they have to opt-in rather than opt-out. --Petko


I would support an opt-out mechanism, particularly if it was simply a commented-out line in the sample-config.php that an administrator could simply uncomment if he wanted to get rid of it... Peter Bowers December 10, 2012, at 02:48 PM


+1 for option method. VKrishn December 11, 2012, at 07:08 AM

Opting out option is always good. Although I don't mind if it's just meta. Forcing your brand on other's website is a turnoff, like Tikiwiki for example. They have zero options to remove tikiwikixxx.php from the URL. -OtherMike

+1 for opt-in -- just a line as Peter suggested, but default is leave the comments in. +0.75 for opt-out. It was going to be +1 for either method, but Petko might have a good point about security. ("Might" because I don't know enough about security to have an opinion. The risk might be small compared to other risks and the benefits.) Sandy


I added the following line in my .tmpl files:

<meta name="generator" content="PmWiki" />

I like this idea, but I also feel it is better to offer opt-in rather than force users to opt-out. Ian MacGregor November 1, 2013