1. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, by a server from a client, an offline audit log containing information with respect to modifications made to content provided within a first electronic document that is retained locally at the client, wherein the server forms part of a distributed document control system; making a determination, without active participation of the document author, and based at least in part on the information contained within the offline audit log, whether the first electronic document should supersede a second electronic document in the distributed document control system; and storing, based on the determination, information in the distributed document control system that links the first electronic document with the second electronic document in a superior-subordinate relationship such that when a request to modify content provided within the second electronic document is received, the distributed document control system forces content provided within the first electronic document to be modified; where receiving the offline audit log, making the determination and storing information in the distributed document control system are performed by one or more computers programmed to perform these operations.
1. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, by a server from a client, an offline audit log containing information with respect to modifications made to content provided within a first electronic document that is retained locally at the client, wherein the server forms part of a distributed document control system; making a determination, without active participation of the document author, and based at least in part on the information contained within the offline audit log, whether the first electronic document should supersede a second electronic document in the distributed document control system; and storing, based on the determination, information in the distributed document control system that links the first electronic document with the second electronic document in a superior-subordinate relationship such that when a request to modify content provided within the second electronic document is received, the distributed document control system forces content provided within the first electronic document to be modified; where receiving the offline audit log, making the determination and storing information in the distributed document control system are performed by one or more computers programmed to perform these operations. 2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first electronic document comprises a document secured previously by a permissions-broker server, the offline access log is received at the permissions-broker server, and making the determination comprises checking at the permissions-broker server for previously stored notification of edits performed on the first electronic document, the method further comprising: receiving from a second client, at the permissions-broker server, the request to modify content provided within the second electronic document; identifying, in response to the request at the permissions-broker server, the information that links the first electronic document with the second electronic document in the superior-subordinate relationship; and imparting information to the second client concerning the first electronic document, wherein the second client prevents opening of the second electronic document and redirects a user to the first electronic document in response to the imparted information.