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Mediawiki is the system that Wikipedia is build on – and it is free for all to use. With the math extension for Mediawiki, you can insert math formulas using Latex to your wiki posts. This means that if you enter this latex code:

<math>x=frac{-b+sqrt{d}}{2*a}</math>

This will be showed on your website like this:

 

And there is a lot of more advances latex formulas you can use.

Install Mediawiki Math Extension

1. Download Mediawiki Math Extension from  here. Choose the newest stable version and press Continue.
2. Copy the content of the packed file into a folder called “Math” in the Extension directory of your Mediawiki installation.
3. Copy the following line to the bottom of your LocalSettings.php file.

   require_once( "$IP/extensions/Math/Math.php" );
   
   

4. Then navigate to your website to the adress:

   http://www.yourwiki.com/wiki/mw-config/

5. This is the installation and update script. Select your language and click continue.
6. Follow the remaining guide to update the database. When it ask for a “upgrade key” go to LocalSettings.php and find the key at $wgUpgradeKey.

Install MathJax

Normally you would compile the math extension, but this is not possible when you have a shared host (unless you use an external hosted compiler). Instead you can on shared hosts install MathJax, which use Javascript to represent the formula. MathJax is already installed on the Math extension, but it need to be activated.

1. Open LocalSettings.php and change the following settings:

   $wgUseMathJax = true;

   $wgDefaultUserOptions['math'] = MW_MATH_MATHJAX;

2. Then add the following line:

   $wgMathValidModes[] = MW_MATH_MATHJAX;

3. Then save and upload the file.

Test Math Extension

Then you can test Math Extension by creating a new post and insert the following code:

<math>x=frac{-b+sqrt{d}}{2*a}</math>

If this gives the result below, then you have succesfully installed the extension:

You can of course also choose to compile the Math extension, which also would give you the formulas as PNG images, instead of just Javascripts. But I think that MathJax is a very elegant way to easy install the Math extension.

 

Last month Google announced that they would offer custom addresses for your Google+ profile. This means that instead of having this long adress:

https://plus.google.com/101153973823113756457

You can instead have an adress like:

https://plus.google.com/+AndreasPeterHøgfeldtAndersen

Which indead looks much better and is more easy to remember.

How do I get my own custom Google+ address?

Unfortunately you don’t decide when you get a custom Google+ URL. Google will send you an e-mail to your GMail and additionally show you a message on Google+, when Google is ready to offer you a custom URL.

Beside that you can actually not either decide how the adress should look. Google will give you some proposals that you can choose between.

So if you have not heard from Google yet, you unfortunately have to wait.

What is the cost of a Google+ custom URL?

The custom Google+ URL is free – for now. Google has announced that they may cost a fee in the future. But Google will of corse notice you about this before they do and you will then be able to remove your custom URL.

Alternative solution

Beside this there is also some alternative websites that offers you an easy URL that directs to your Google+ URL. An example of this is gplus.to that gives an address like:

gplus.to/aphandersen

Make your own subdomain that points to your Google+ URL

If you have your own private blog, it is also a good idea to create your own subdomain and then point this to your Google+ profile. First create a subdomain like:

http://plus.apha.dk/

Then create a PHP file, call it index.php and then insert the following code:

<?php

header( 'Location: https://plus.google.com/101153973823113756457') ;

?>

This file is then uploaded to the folder of the subdomain. Then you have your own custom Google+ URL.