Reblogging

Creating the reblog function required some careful decision-making regarding the editability of the original blog text. The problem with allowing the reblogger to edit the original text is that this gives the reblogger the ability to insert false text and images. I don't expect this to be a regular occurrence on my site, but I don't want that to ever be possible. Another potential problem is the original blog could be edited after it is reblogged. This creates similar problems. For example, a reblog could be made stating agreement with the original blog, and the original text could be modified to something that the reblogger doesn't agree with.

The solution that I developed involves saving a full copy of the original blog that neither the original author nor the reblogger can edit. The only disadvantage is the extra storage space that I need to do this, but I think it's a necessary cost that I must accept to make this function work nicely.

Beta Testing

My new site is still incomplete, but it's ready for some beta testing. Since there is no real deadline, I could just wait longer, but I think it's beneficial for me to practice more on updating a live site. Not having any "real" users on the site allows me to make very substantial revisions without any problems, but that isn't realistic when millions of people are expecting the site to be working 24/7. I have to get into the habit of testing on a separate test server prior to deployment. Without real users, there is no incentive to do that or to be careful.

Anyone who is interested can check out my site at blog-stalk.com