The WebRing.com System

Support for
Non-JavaScript Browsers

This page explains how the WebRing.com system provides support for browsers that do not support JavaScript.

Summary

	This is the new logo for the WebRing.com system, implemented in their changes of Oct.2006. It distinguishes this webring system from the other systems like Ringlink, RingSurf and Bravenet. See also my articles: WebRing.com Logos and Is Webring a Trademark?

When Yahoo! assimilated the Original WebRing system, it changed from a system using HTML hosted on the member sites to a system delivering HTML dynamically through JavaScript functions.

One of the problems with this approach is that not all browsers support JavaScript. In particular, many of the browsers used by the sight-impaired do not support JavaScript. That is the reason that federal web accessibility standards require that pages provide alternatives to JavaScript, particularly when that JavaScript is used for navigation.

The WebRing.com system being deployed following the announcements on Friday, 12.Oct.2001 provides this functionality.

This page describes this new functionality and explains how to use it.

How Does Non-JavaScript Support Work?

Support by non-JavaScript browsers is based on a very important principle:

• Browsers ignore tags that they do not recognize.

Suppose that there were two tags in JavaScript: <ignore> and </ignore> that caused JavaScript enabled browsers to ignore everything between the two tags. If you put HTML between these two tags, the JavaScript enabled browser would ignore the HTML.

What you could do is to enclose alternative HTML inside these tags. When a JavaScript enabled browser processed the HTML, it would process the JavaScript and ignore the alternative HTML. But when a non-JavaScript enabled browser processed the HTML, it would ignore the JavaScript (because it does not recognize the JavaScript commands) and also it would process the alternative HTML (because it does not recognize the "ignore" tags.

Let's say this again. Anything that is included between the <ignore> and </ignore> tags is ignored by a JavaScript enabled browser. But anything between these tags would be processed by a browser that is not JavaScript enabled.

Pretty clever, huh?

JavaScript Has "Ignore" Tags

JavaScript actually has a pair of "ignore" tags:

• <noscript> and </noscript>

Think of these as the equivalent of <ignore> and </ignore>.

The result is that anything that is included between the <noscript> and </noscript> tags is ignored by a JavaScript enabled browser. But anything between these tags would be processed by a browser that is not JavaScript enabled.

An "Example"

Consider this fictional code:

In the example above,

• A JavaScript enabled browser will execute the "blah blah"  code, and
   
• The <noscript></noscript> tags tell the JavaScript enabled browser to not execute "Other Code" (they act as "ignore" tags), but
   
• A browser that is not JavaScript enabled will not execute the "blah blah" code, and
   
• A non-JavaScript enabled browser will also ignore the <noscript></noscript> tags which will cause it to execute "Other Code"

The WebRing.com System Hosted Page

The problem with the Webring navbar stack is that it must be assembled by the browser using the JavaScript on the page. If the browser does not support JavaScript, it cannot process the JavaScript to assemble the stack.

The WebRing.com system provides an alternative. It provides a page that is assembled on the server. Instead of relying on the browser to assemble the page, it assembles the page on the server and then delivers it "preassembled". This permits the non-JavaScript enabled browser to see the navbar stack.

Invoking the WebRing.com System Hosted Page

The "preassembled" page is referenced using a standard URL command in the WebRing.com system:

http://ss.webring.com/navbar?
f=l&amp;y=webring-userid&amp;u=webring-u-number 

• webring-userid: This is also called the Webring ID. It is the same ID used in the standard JavaScript command to invoke the navbar stack
   
• webring-u-number: This is the same U Number that is used in the standard JavaScript command to invoke the navbar stack.

Putting These Together

To support non-JavaScript enabled browsers, we combine all of this together.

That is, we use the JavaScript to assemble the stack for browsers that support JavaScript.

And for browsers that do not support JavaScript, we link to the preassembled page on the WebRing.com system.

The Standard Noscript Code

To help illustrate all of this, I have isolated an example of the standard "noscript" code on a page. This "noscript" code is the standard code that corresponds to an actual stack on my site. I have removed the <noscript></noscript> tags in order to reveal the code, even in JavaScript enabled browsers. I have also created an alternate set of "noscript" code that you could use as a model. And, finally, I show the actual code for both of these.

• To see the actual stack on my site, click here
   
• To see the standard "noscript" code, click here
   
• To see alternate "noscript" code #1, click here
   
• To see the alternate Webring hosted page, click on the link on the either of the "noscript" code pages.

Summary

The WebRing.com system supports a system hosted page that will assemble any navbar stack and deliver it to a non-JavaScript enabled browser.

You can use this on your pages to support non-JavaScript enabled browsers.

You do not need to use the "standard" code; you can easily construct your own using your Webring ID and stack U Number.

And, you can use this "noscript" code, even if you are still using the old Yahoo! WebRing navbar stack code on your pages.

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