WordPress MU

Hello,

I would to know what would be the difference (pros & cons) between a
- installation of a muwp system
and
- multiple installation of a "single" worpdress

MuWP is intended to do a multi blog system but it ought be to do the same with a single wordpress (last wp1.5) and repeat it (with hardlinks to save space)... etc

Can someone explain why a muWP should be the best solution.
Moreover which "system" might be the more secure to avoid system hack ?

Thx
Tom

Each variant has it's own advantages and dis-advantages.
If you install single wp blogs, you will have more control over the new blogs, because you do the install by yourself everytime.
This is perfectly ok.
But if you want a bloghosting solution, where your users can sign up and create sub-blogs on their own, you might have a lot of work with installing single wp's.
This is where wpmu comes into play. It is an automated blog creation system. To have control over the new blogs, there will be some administrative functions available for the main blog admin.
However, there are other advantages, such like globally available templates, plugins and other features. So you do not have to install all this stuff on every single blog again and again.

With WPMU, can there be one "main" blog, which runs the front page, and then a list of "user" blogs, that can be created by any visitor to the site but integrated into the main blog? Sort of like how user diaries work with Scoop. You have the site as defined by its owners, but every user on the site can post to their own page.

The ways I've seen WFMU in action seem to suggest that it's an automated way to create totally separate blogs. But is it also an automated way for users to create their own pages on a main blog?

To really be clear on the difference, single "full" WordPress installations allow the user/owner to control everything the visitor sees, including the look, effects, use of plugins, everything down to the finest detail.

WordPressMU is controlled by the host, not the user. You can certainly set up WordPressMU as a multiblog, but there are plugins and other tools that will allow you to do that with much more control with WordPress.

In WordPressMU, the host or administrator controls everything, what Themes can be chosen, if plugins are available or not, and all server-associated adminisration controls. The user can only choose the Look from a list, with no customization, and then only control what they post, their content. They can name their site, create link lists, categories, Pages, but they have no control over any of the details.

If you want to run several blogs on your own, then choosing the full WordPress with multiple blog add-ons will get your further than WordPressMU, I believe. If you want to host a lot of users with their own "sites", and build a community, then WordPressMU is perfect.

Does that help clear things up?

I believe so. However, if I were to run full WordPress with multiple blog add-ons, would it include automated registration for users to create and post to their own blogs?

With the full WordPress, you can have registration for users, but not for creating their own blogs. The users would just be able to post, depending upon their user level permissions, to that blog site, like having multiple contributors.

FYI: We will be adding documentation soon to the WordPress Codex which will outline the differences and purposes of the two programs.

WPMU is for hosts. It's for people who don't want to have to pay for hosting for their own blogs, and then have to worry about familiarising themselves with the complicated installation procedures a brand new blog software can entail.

In my opinion, the main attraction is being able to set up a new blog within a minute of visiting the host's site, and the possibility of instantly having hundreds of themes and plugins at your disposal, without having to FTP them in, etc.

It sounds like, to replicate the experience of user diaries in Scoop, one needs WPMU. Looking forward to trying it out. Thanks for your help.