Testing Xpost – #2 – OTC Post at OT Xposted to CK Mac’s

Found this old plug-in, Xpost, that comes very close to delivering a functionality that some of us who post at multiple WordPress blogs might find convenient. It even seems to promise near-realtime comments and post edits synchronization, and, before the developer abandoned it, he added a tool for sending useful metadata along with the post and comments themselves.

So far, it has worked for sending posts from this blog to my OT “Developing” blog, though I have had some odd difficulties getting it to work on the OT side: During an earlier experiment, I was able to crosspost from OT to CK MacLeod’s, despite the occurrence of what appeared to be a major error. Today, when I attempt to add this blog to the Developing XPost settings, I get database insertion errors, which I believe have to do with the plug-in setting up a general use database rather than sub-site specific databases.

So, test #1 (which was actually a multi-part/multi-post test) was from CK Mac’s to Developing. Interestingly, comments were updated from the target post back to the origin post, but not the other way around. Edits did not sync: I edited the text at the target blog and it had not effect on the origin blog. Will want to test both ways on this post, if all goes well or well enough.

Depending on the results, I may next have to do what I have thusfar refrained from doing: crack open the files and look at or even adapt the code. All tests thusfar have been “external.”

Text added to test synchronization, with crossposting for this post set to “on” on Edit panel. Expect: Errors but successful completion of edit. Mainly curious to see if post edits appear at CK Mac’s.

[minor edit performed at OT-OTC above, and now this – no edits to CK Mac post yet]

[first edit to CK Mac post – note: “cross-posting” to OT is unchecked]

[checking Crosspost from target blog’s post results in new Crosspost (new post) at origin blog. Am doing it again, this time with comments checked – instead of “syncing,” I expect a new OTC post to be created with same title, and possibly with the CK Mac comments]

[yes on second post created (using CK Mac timestamp so appearing earlier in timeline), no on CK Mac comments cross-posting, too. Before I delete the second version, which includes these edits so far, will want to see if takes up these new edits, and if comments at the target blog are cross-posted back to CKM’s]

[first edit to version of this post at OT, with Xpost to CK Mac’s unchecked – note comments ARE xposting or “back-posting]

[edits did NOT back-post to CK Mac’s]

[Now editing OT version, this time with Xpost to CK Mac’s checked, comment xposting unchecked: expect from prior behavior: Error, edit to this post, New Post at CK Mac’s, without comments]

[As expected]

[now editing OT (2nd) version, this time with both Xpost to CK Mac’s and comments Xposting checked: expect error, edit to this post successful, new post at CK Mac’s with one comment]

[comment NOT cross-posted: So far the only cross-posting of comments that occurs is as previously noted: new comments at target blog back-posting – so will have to see if comment at CK Mac’s on this post x-posts back to here]

[post edit done at OT-OTC, now with Xposting unchecked. Do NOT expect this edit to appear at CK Mac’s]

[Xposting unchecked, edits not backposting – this is probably desirable behavior – am now almost looking forward to cracking open the code, even if my brain hurts already]

[Deleting OT-OTC post after this edit and last comment]

[last note for this testing session: Xpost is also good for sending drafts as such – one alteration would be to send posts as drafts by default or always, regardless of status at origin blog, to to make option available]