Touch Command

In the UNIX world there is a command called "touch" which will change the timestamp of an existing file or create a new file if the one named doesn't exist.

I would like to see a WikiTouch command that would "touch" a page so it shows up on RecentChanges without changing the "last edit" date on the page. Ideally it would say touch on RecentChanges so WikiZens know it wasn't changed. I know I could make a WikiFeint to get the page to show up there, but on older pages I try to not to unnecessarily change them since it is often useful to see the last edit date reflect the age of the page for historic reasons. This way I could call attention to a page I find interesting without changing anything!

This kind of touch command is a CodeSmell and proves that something about wiki's design is fundamentally wrong­. Like the overimportance of RecentChanges.

I'm only a RecentChangesJunkie part of the time. However, a command of this sort could expand RecentChanges into a bulletin board of sorts that could resurface parts of the WikiIceberg. Potentially, this could make RecentChanges into a much more interesting place. Just an idea to ponder. Could, of course, be overused into worthlessness. Agreed that RecentChanges DOES become too important all too often, yet, WikiMaintenance couldn't be done without it.. i.e. vandals, spammers, etc.

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