laussy.org
laussy.org is the domain name of our web site (where you happen to be right now, if you're not doing something funny).
This web space is maintained, developed, cherished and hazarded upon in various forms by Elena del Valle (who, being Spanish, has many other names that refer to her) and Fabrice Laussy (who, being French, makes this type of comment).
We are happily married and scientists (condensed matter physicists), with an interest in all things. But this page is not to tell you about us. See here or there for that.
This page is to tell about the website itself.
History
The Web laussy.org is available since 1 January (2008). It was initially powered by home-made php scripts. On 12 November (2009), at 20:10, it was ported to MediaWiki with the Main Page of the time reflecting the oldest pages of this Web that read like a genesis of who we are:
Since 31 October (2010), everything is managed by the MediaWiki, including our Blogs. We were previously using WordPress (this is no longer available online) but we decided this was not the best thing to do. The reasons why are explained here. We call the whole thing LaussyWiki.
Name
Laussy (my family name) is very rare, so it is suitable to identify us. Initially we had a sub-domain and our web was delvalle.laussy.org but since we wanted to integrate everything, Elena had to abandon online her Spanish privilege of keeping her family name.
Then comes the extension. As nomads, it is good we didn't go for laussy.fr, laussy.es or laussy.co.uk which would be meaningless. At any rate, I would have considered the Syrian domain name to register a laus.sy website.
I toyed with laussy.net, but its proximity to laussynette put me off at the time; I'd probably go for it for the same reason now! laussy.info, laussy.online, laussy.site were also appealing, but I did not want anything too unconvetional and very long domain names didn't feel Internety to me. laussy.xyz would have been great but I believe the domain did not exist at the time.
I finally went with laussy.org. The domain is fit for non-profit projects, personal causes, or community-driven sites. If fits its most of this. It is not community-driven but let us say it has a philanthropic ambition or at least inclination.
When I discussed the point with my friend Jeremy Bryant, he convinced me this was the only possible choice. Especially as I'd eventually turn into an organization anyway.
Skins
Header
The overall look is pretty stable but changes occasionally. Here is how it looked before:
-
The first skin, from January 2008, in pure php, featuring the Iguazu falls. -
We liked this theme a lot and kept it for three years, through various engines (here a wiki). -
-
Amber color theme to celebrate the birth of Ambre Laussy. -
Portal when moving from ix to InMotion.
Laussywiki.php
The mediawiki skin is a home-made Laussywiki skin with structure:
├── Laussywiki.php
├── resources
│ ├── common.less
│ ├── PlazaMayor-laussy.org.jpg
│ └── print.css
├── skin.json
└── templates
└── skin.mustache
Versions
I started to track seriously the versions for the Big Mediawiki Upgrade where I made substantial changes and had to suffer the occasional sorrows of trying to recover a wrecked version.
- v°1.0 ‒ on laussy.org before the big upgrade.
- v°2.7 ‒ first version used on laussy.org after the big upgrade, since 11 July (2025).
- v°2.7.1 ‒ TOC in margin, logged-in (4 lines) footer, ↿⇃ (top/bottom links), good occupation of view (occupying full page with no extra space).
- v°2.7.12 ‒ Search (including namespace 100)
- v°2.7.20 ‒ Supports non logged-in users.
- v°2.7.21 ‒ Referencing bug (numbering start at 1), hover-invert (like Eric Raymond' web).
- v°2.7.22 ‒ Ready for online deployment (remove debugging blocks).
- v°2.7.44 ‒ Non Logged-in users style (no clickable new links).
- next (not released): [wishlist] better editor for Blog creation.
Headers description
Iguazu falls
- The falls decorating the headers of our pages are the famous Iguazu falls on the border between Brazil and Argentina. We visited the site for three days in August 2007.
- The Garganta do Diabo—where a cliff opens suddenly in a river the size of the Amazon—is the most impressive natural sight we have witnessed to date.
Les chutes qui ornent les entêtes des pages du site sont les célèbres chutes d'Iguazu, sur la frontière entre le Brésil et l'Argentine. Nous avons passé trois jours sur le site en Août 2007.
La gorge du Diable—où un précipice s'ouvre au milieu d'une rivière de la taille de l'Amazone—reste à ce jour la plus impressionnante vision qu'il nous ait été donné de contempler.
Las cataratas que decoran la cabecera de nuestra página son las famosas Cataratas de Iguazú en la frontera entre Brasil y Argentina. Pasamos tres días visitándolas en agosto de 2007.
La Garganta do Diabo—donde un abismo se abre abruptamente en un río del tamaño del Amazonas—es la vista natural más hermosa que hemos presenciado hasta la fecha.
Ambre
- On 31 October (2010), we added a piece of amber and colored everything red-yellowish in celebration of the birth of Ambre Laussy, our niece, born on the 29th of this month.
Le 31 Octobre (2010), nous y avons ajouté une pièce d'ambre, en l'honneur de notre nièce Ambre Laussy, née le 29 de ce mois. El 31 de Octubre (2010), añadimos una pieza de ambar para celebrar el nacimiento de Ambre Laussy, nuestra sobrina, nacida el 29 del mismo mes.
Saint-Petersburg
- The headers of our pages give a glimpse of the Winter Palace, the Admiralty, Saint Isaac's Cathedral, the old Stock Exchange sitting between the rostral columns of Vasilyevsky Island, embracing the Neva River bathed in the lights of the white nights.
- We brought back this majestic view from a visit to our friends and colleagues of the Ioffe institute (in Saint Petersburg), Dr. Glazov, Dr. Poddubbny et al., between June and July 2010.
La photo en haut de chaque page donne un aperçu du Palais d'hiver, de l'Amirauté, de la cathédrale Saint Isaac, de la Bourse qui sied entre les colonnes rostrales de l'île de Vasilyevsky qui embrasse la Néva, ainsi baignés de la lumière des nuits blanches Russe.
Nous avons ramené cette vue majuestueuse d'une visite à nos amis et collègues du Ioffe (institut à Saint Petersbourg), Dr. Glazov, Dr. Poddubny et al. [1], entre Juin et Juillet 2010.
La cabecera de nuestra página nos asoma al Palacio de Invierno, El Admiraltado, La Catedral de San Isaac, el antiguo Mercado de Abastos emplazado entre la ristra de columnas de la isla de Vasilyevsky, fundiéndose con el Río Neva a la luz de una de las célebres noches blancas rusas.
Nos llevamos esta majestuosa vista de una visita a nuestros colegas y amigos del Ioffe Institute (en San Petersburgo), Dr. Glazov, Dr.
Poddubbny et al. [2], en los meses de Junio y Julio 2010.
Bavarian Alps
- The panorama decorating the top of our pages shows Elena taming the Tegelberg, with a view of the Bavarian Alps in background. The city on the right is Füssen. The picture was taken by Fabrice on the first of November 2011.
Le panorama qui décore l'entête de nos pages montre Elena dominant le Tegelberg, sur fond d'Alpes Bavaroises. L'on voit aussi, à droite, la ville de Füssen. Cette photo fut prise par Fabrice le 1er Novembre 2011. El panorama que decora la cabecera de nuestra página muestra a Elena en la cima del Tegelberg, con los Alpes Bávaros de fondo. A la derecha se puede distinguir la ciudad de Füssen. Esta foto fue tomada por Fabrice el primero de Noviembre de 2011.
Madrid's skyline
- Madrid's skyline, as seen from somewhere in la Sierra de Madrid, decorates the head of our pages since 6 October (2013).
L'horizon de Madrid, tel qu'il se voit depuis la Sierra de Madrid, décore l'entête de nos pages depuis le 6 Octobre 2013. La línea del horizonte de Madrid, tal como se ve desde el Cerro de San Pedro, a las puertas de la Sierra, decora la cabecera de nuestras páginas desde el 6 de Octubre de 2013.
Logos
These are logos featured at the header of the site, highlighting a major event of the time.
New year 2010.
Incoherent Mollow triplets.
Elena gets awarded an Humboldt fellowship.
PLMCN11 in Berlin.
We propose a way see the Jaynes-Cummings peaks in a strongly dissipative system.
Problems
And last but not least, a list of known problems (which need to be fixed):
- \begin{align} no longer works with the current version of mathjax.
- Not all youtube and google maps markers have been updated.
- {{cite| and {{onlinecite| produce two different references.
- There are empty <wz tip="">...</wz> which should be removed (bot) or rendered sterile (hack).
If you know of other glitches, let us know.