The WebRing.com System

Invalid Code:
ID/U# Mismatch

This page explains this error message from WebRing.com and provides several possibilities to identify the root cause and correct the error.

This site is a member of WebRing. Find more at WebRing!. ID/U# mismatch. Click for assistance.

Invalid Code: ID/U# Mismatch

One of the errors most commonly reported to the various help forums at WebRing.com is Invalid Code: ID/U# Mismatch. The error message looks something like this:

This site is a member of WebRing. Find more at WebRing!. ID/U# mismatch. Click for assistance.

This page explains this error message and provides several alternate possibilities to identify the root cause and correct the error.

Clicking the Link

If you click on the link that says "Click for assistance" you will go to a web page on the WebRing.com system that will attempt to help you correct the problem.

The most common cause of emails to me and to help forums is confusion about this page, and, in particular, confusion when the system says that what you need is already what you have. The information below attempts to help resolve this, and other similar issues.

Immediately After New Membership

Sometimes when users click the link they receive a page that says that the ID and U# that is on the page is already what is required. This causes confusion and is the most frequent cause of emails about this particular error.

The most common cause of this particular error is "server delay".

Many people new to the WebRing.com system are used to dealing with a single computer and a single database. The WebRing.com system is spread among multiple databases running on multiple servers. The advantage is that it is easily "scalable". It can grow and expand easily. The disadvantage is that it requires all of these various databases on the various servers to communicate with each other.

Also, many people expect that the "results" that display are derived from a direct inquiry to the database. Frequently this is not the case. In order to "save time", the WebRing.com system pre-answers questions so it won't have to answer them every time they are asked. Take, for example, the red, yellow and green indicators that indicate whether a site is correct or not. These indicators are pre-set by the system. They do not indicate the "current status" of the site. They indicate the status the last time it was checked.

Because it takes time for the servers to communicate, it takes time for a new membership to be "recognized" by the various servers involved. The result is that a new membership will sometimes display this error even though everything is ok. If your membership is very new (less than one day old) and everything looks ok, it is highly likely that this is the situation and this error will resolve itself with time.

My suggestion: wait a bit. Wait a day. It will probably clear.

Incorrect Code

If it is not immediately after a new membership, the two most likely causes are

1. A server communication failure, or
    
2. The ID and U# used on the page are incorrect.

Server Communication Failures

If the page says that the ID and U# you have are what you are supposed to have, and if you have waited a day, then it is likely that there was a server communication failure. The simple fix for this is to nudge the servers to talk with each other again. Here are the steps.

1. Go to http://dir.webring.com
    
2. Log in using your WebRing.com System User ID
    
3. Click on "My Rings" (in the upper right portion of the page.
    
4. Click on "View Ring Sites" (in the left column of the page).
    
5. Click on the Site Title of your page in that webring
    
6. Don't change the registered page. (If you need to change the registered page, see the steps later on this page for "How to Correct the Code".) It is permissible to change the name or description.
    
7. Click Submit. This will nudge the servers to communicate again and should resolve the problem.
    
8. Click the Back button on the browser.
    
9. Click "Test" (It is underneath the URL listed for your web page.)
    
10. If the system comes back as "Pass", you did everything right.
     
11. Wait for the servers to synchronize. Allow 1 day.

Incorrect Code

There are several common causes of this:

1. The code was copied incorrectly.
   Sometimes a new user copies the code by manually typing it instead of using the Windows clipboard. Any character that is mistyped can cause this type of problem.
    
2. The Registered Page Changed.
   Members sometimes change the registered URL without realizing that the registered URL controls the U#. Whenever the registered URL is changed, you must obtain new code for the site. This is true even if the change is trivial. For example, changing a capital letter to a lower case letter will cause a new U#. And changing from one form to another form, even if both actually point to the same page will cause a new U#. (For more information on this, see my page that explains how the JavaScript works.)
    
3. A system glitch caused a U# change.
   It does not happen frequently, but there have been reported instances of the U# changing because of a system glitch. If this happens, the solution is still the same as the other causes. Correct the code.

Correcting the Code

In all of these cases, the analysis is the same. Check your code. Confirm that the ID and U# that are assigned are actually the ID and U# on the page. When you find that the ID or U# is different, get the new, correct code and install it on the page.

How to Correct the Code

1. Go to http://dir.webring.com
    
2. Log in using your WebRing.com System User ID
    
3. Click on "My Rings" (in the upper right portion of the page).
    
4. Click on "View Ring Sites" (in the left column of the page).
    
5. Click on the Site Title of your page in that webring
    
6. Confirm that the page that is registered is the page onto which you wish to place the code. The code should go onto the registered page. Many webrings require that the code must go onto the registered page.
    
7. If the page is correct, go to Step 13 to get the code, or go to Step 19 to just test your membership.
    
8. Change the registered page to be the correct registered page.
    
9. If you want to change the page name or description, do that now too.
    
10. Click Submit.
     
11. Warning: Do not get navigation code at this time. There is a minor system bug. If you attempt to get navigation code from this resulting page, it will be wrong.
     
12. Click the Back button on your browser.
     
13. Click "Get Navigation Code" (in the left column of the page).
     
14. Place your cursor in the "box" with all the code and select all the code. (The easiest way to "select all" in Windows is to type Ctrl-A.)
     
15. Copy all the code. (The easiest way in Windows is to type Ctrl-C.)
     
16. Paste this code into the HTML of your site, (The easiest way to paste in Windows is to type Ctrl-V.) Remember that you should place the code onto the page that you registered. (And be aware that some webrings require that you place the code onto the page that you registered.)
     
17. Place the webpage you just modified onto your website. If you are using a web based editor, save the page. If you are using a PC based editor (e.g., Dreamweaver, FrontPage), upload the changed page to your server.
     
18. Click the Back button on the browser.
     
19. Click "Test" (It is underneath the URL listed for your web page.)
     
20. If the system comes back as "Pass", you did everything right.

Critical Information

Whenever you change the registered page you must get new JavaScript. The JavaScript is based on the registered page. For more information on this, see my page that explains how the JavaScript works.

I Am Here to Help

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Feel free to email me.

A Personal Note:
If You Want to Delete Your Webring

If you are considering deleting your WebRing.com webring, please do not delete it. Instead, please contact me . I would be pleased to adopt it from you. I will personally work with you to make that transition smooth and painless.

I'm sorry. While I have long adopted webrings in the WebRing.com system, because of the Oct.2006 changes, I am no longer doing that.

However, please note that "deleting" your webring is a fruitless exercise. The system will just restore it and place it up for adoption.

Webring News and Announcements

WebRing.com Changes Big Time ---  It was October 2001 that WebRing.com came into existence following the end of Yahoo! Webring. Now, 5 years later, WebRing.com is changing again. Moving from primarily a free service to primarily a paid service, the system is undergoing massive change. Stay tuned.

Ringlink Activity  ---  While Ringlink has not released a new version since Version 3.2 on 21.Feb.2005, the system seems to be getting a lot of activity. Many people are discovering this great webring system and moving their webrings here. If you don't know about Ringlink, definitely check out this great webring system. I personally recommend it.

WoW  ---  The World of Webrings features the World of Webrings discussion list. It offers a forum for both webring owners (ringmasters) and webring members to discuss the latest hot topics about all webrings, including WebRing.com, Ringlink , Alt-Webring, RingSurf, Bravenet and others. If you belong to any webring in any webring service, you should join this list.

RingSurf Passes 3 Year Anniversary  ---  It was 3 years ago, on 16.Aug.2003 when the WoW list list noted that RingSurf's domain name registration had changed. Then the new owner came forward. A RingSurf Feature List was developed and debated. Then, on Thanksgiving day, 27.Nov.2003 the new owner posted on the WoW list that the new RingSurf is up! If you haven't checked it out lately, see what has happened in the last three years.

Article About Webrings  ---  Check out this excellent Salon.com article about the history of Yahoo! and WebRing.com: The Strange Saga of Yahoo and Webring . For some, it will bring back memories. For others, it will explain the history. Now, I wonder if they will update it to talk about the latest WebRing.com changes.

Articles About the WebRing.com System

Webring Sections and Subsections

The Webring Section is a large section of my website. I have divided it into four major "subsections".

• General Information
• The WebRing.com System
• Webrings I Own and Belong To
• The Wazillion Navbars Project

Each "subsection" has it's own special "logo".

As you travel in the various subsections you will find, near the bottom of each page, links to pages within that subsection and also links to the other subsections. To go to any subsection, just click on the "logo" or on the text link for that subsection.

Webrings: General Information

This subsection includes general information about webrings. Webrings can be hosted by a variety of different services. This section deals with the overall concepts and issues, not with any one particular "brand" of webring.

It includes my Webring FAQ, links to articles about webrings, and general help information. Click here or on the graphic.

The Wazillion Navbars Project

This subsection is a historical section about the Yahoo! WebRing system. It was begun during the early days of problems with the Yahoo! WebRing system in September 2000.

It ended when the Yahoo! WebRing system spun off into the independent WebRing.com system in October 2001. I maintain it for the historical record. Click here or on the graphic.

Webrings I Own and Belong To

This subsection shows all the webrings I own and links to all the webrings to which I belong. This includes webrings in Ringlink, RingSurf, Bravenet and the WebRing.com system as well.

If you are looking to join one of my webrings, this is a good place to start. If you wonder about the webrings I belong to, this is the place to go. Click here or on the graphic.

Last updated:
18:15, Thu, 27.Mar.2008