Web Watch: Relaunching a Grand Old Web Site

GOP.com officially launched in beta — a designation often used with Web applications to indicate that the creators are still testing them and working out the kinks. It's a good way to get your Web site rolling and find out how everything will work when you suddenly have hundreds or thousands of site visitors. But in this case, the new GOP.com might have been better served by launching sooner and more privately, letting a smaller group of users weigh in before going public.