VerseLogic

User Levels

Unless given a profound reason for not doing so, I will be abolishing all cwdb user-levels in the next codebase revision, with the exception of “Administrator” and “Unauthenticated guest-type user”.

That is to say, insofar as editing entries goes, since we currently have a small team of trusted individuals taking care of all entries, regardless of original authorship, we have no need for the intermediate “Authorized” user who can only edit their own works.

There may be some justification in splitting the Administrator group into two catagories, one for entry-administration, and the other SuperAdmin for modifying or creating users accounts, adding or modifying types or type classifications, and other maintainence alterations.

Please leave opinions as comments to this post.

The most compelling argument that I can come up with for keeping the “Authorized” user level is that I was once merely “Authorized”, and that was also the time during which I did the most importing and editing of my own work. I think it would probably be useful for all authors to continue to be able to edit their own works without needing to be one of the Admins. Even if no one has been using it thus far, removing the option will for sure prevent it’s use in the future.

Does the “Authorized” user-level add much overhead to the code? Presumably taking out the extra user level would just reduce the number of user levels by one, and not simplify the logic at all? Unless, I suppose, you replaced user levels system with an “administrator” Boolean field. But if you had multiple levels of administratordom, that’d sorta defeat such a field.

Except that an “Authorized” user level controls /what/ posts someone can edit, as opposed to controlling whether they can do nothing, edit posts, or edit posts, users, categories and everything else… So even with various levels of moderator power, it’d still simplify the logic in the “display a work” routine a little bit. Hmm. I still like giving the authors the chance to alter their own work, though, without having to go through too much fuss to gain access.

Except… don’t “Authorized” permissions have to be specifically assigned right now, anyway? Perhaps all authors should be given the right to edit their own works by default, instead? Except then how would you handle and/or ensure proper account and password assignment for first-time visitors?

Hmmm. Knotty. Either that or I think too much. ;;;^>

AboutMe

Alan J Castonguay is from Ontario, Canada. Interested in philosophy, animation, serial art, and mixing bleeding-edge technology with doing things the old fashioned way. Works in tech support, but dreams of going back to the theatre.

A resume is available for your perusal, should you be interested in bribing me to do work.

User Levels

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