BritBlog - the British Bloggers Directory

BritBlog uses a sophisticated hierarchical directory application to organise user-submitted web sites.

This particular web site uses the software to categorise British blogs written by British people from all over the world. Web sites are submitted by members and are optionally reviewed by an administrator before being added to the database.

Web sites can be automatically checked when they are submitted, and a validation key is emailed to new members in order to confirm the authenticity of their email address.

BritBlog Features

Smooth registration process
The registration process normally requires no intervention from an administrator. When a member joins, the application checks that the web site and email address used are valid, and they are then sent an email containing a validation code. This code is contained within a link that the new member must click in order to activate their membership. This process helps reduce bogus entries appearing in the directory.

As an option, the administrator may elect to review all sites prior to their inclusion in the directory. In this case, new sites are flagged up in the administration console once the new member has validated their membership.

Hierarchical structure
The directory is organised hierarchically, meaning records can be easily organised and located. The structure is dynamic, so new nodes (children or branches) can be added at any time. Members may suggest new locations and categories, and the administrator can modify the database through the administration console.

Advanced online administration
A secure online web interface is used by the administrator to manage the database. Through this tool the members' database and directory structure can be easily maintained.

BritBlog Technology

The system has been designed to hold large volumes of records. Because the data structure is hierarchical, the load the web application exerts on the server could become quite high. In order to improve the efficiency, dynamic content is kept to a minimum. Instead, the entire directory, running totals and other statistics are built nightly.

The system has been built using open source technologies, including PHP and MySQL, and it runs on Linux. These technologies contribute to the speed and stability of the application.