For the development site, do I connect to the live database or do I make a totally different database? I guess what I am asking is that the development site must be completely independent of the live website? files, mysql, everything? 

This change for the Order seems to work on my tests but please backup your database before changing anything. I'm also asking if we can add a setting for the order to be set in admin, for a future release. It would be nice to allow sorting.

If you look, the order is the same as it shows in the list in your screenshot. You'll need to play with the database or delete and enter them in order. Be careful in the database though, if anyone has answered it might make a mess of things.  Try on...  moreIf you look, the order is the same as it shows in the list in your screenshot. You'll need to play with the database or delete and enter them in order. Be careful in the database though, if anyone has answered it might make a mess of things.  Try on a development site first or make a backup of your database before doing changes. Well, always make a backup before editing it as a precaution.  

Please ask SocialNetworking.Solutions to have a look. This could be from an old plugin conflict. Any plugins installed can and usually do overwrite source and can make database changes. This can interfere with site performance, upgrades, plugin installs,...  morePlease ask SocialNetworking.Solutions to have a look. This could be from an old plugin conflict. Any plugins installed can and usually do overwrite source and can make database changes. This can interfere with site performance, upgrades, plugin installs, etc. The plugins you have may be the culprit in your issues. They can probably assist with removal of the consecutive bytes plugins perhaps. Just disabling plugins will not remove source edits they may have made to the core files in SE or database changes. Some plugins even still load their files after being disabled.  less