Annotations to changing documents

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Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1993 08:03:46 +1200
From: Nathan Torkington <Nathan.Torkington@vuw.ac.nz>
Message-id: <199307132003.AA18163@kauri.vuw.ac.nz>
To: www-talk@nxoc01.cern.ch
Subject: Annotations to changing documents
Status: RO

Why not treat the document as if it were frozen, but keep an md5
digital signature of the document with the annotation along with some
context.  If the signature then and the signature now are different,
you know the document has changed.  At this point, plonk up the
annotation where it would have been (with a note saying ``annotation
may have moved'') and let the user move the annotation around to where
they think the annotation should be now.  This moved annotation then
replaces the old when it is saved.

Rather than completely automating something this complicated (which
can't be done without placing artificial restrictions on what can be
annotated), I think you'll probably either have to (a) ignore the
problem, or (b) provide for human intervention.

Cheers;

Nat.