The WebRing.com System

Dealing With Error Messages That Say "Unauthorized Access" and "Ring Does Not Exist"

This page explains how to deal with two error messages in the WebRing.com system: Unauthorized Access and Ring Does Not Exist.

What Is the Problem?

	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?

The WebRing.com system sometimes takes action with memberships that causes navbars to appear in a stack even though there isn't a membership.

These situations are usually the result of the system taking "clean up" actions without "completely cleaning up".

The result is that it leaves "crumbs" across the system that need to be corrected.

What Causes This

There are two causes:

1. Membership expiration, and
2. Webring deletion

Membership Expiration

Ringmasters can set the system to automatically expire memberships that are pending or suspended for "too long". (The period can be set for 7, 30 or 90 days.)

When this options is chosen and the system actually expires a membership, the membership no longer exists. However, because the system doesn't "completely clean up", it leaves "crumbs" of the membership. For example, it leaves the navbar in the navbar stack and doesn't correctly clean this up. It also leaves the link to the membership on the "View Ring Sites" page, even though the membership no longer exists. Not only that, neither the member nor the ringmaster is is performed.

Webring Deletion

Sometimes when a ringmaster deletes a webring, the system fails to "completely clean up". Even though the ringmaster deletes the webring, the system leaves the navbar on the stack. The navbar no longer actually works (because the webring no longer exists). And, the membership may still appear on the "View Ring Sites" page.

Can the Ringmaster Fix This?

Unfortunately, no. The WebRing.com system has a special utility to fix this problem. But Ringmasters don't have access to it. And, the WebRing.com "powers that be" won't do anything if a Ringmaster asks them to fix it. The only fix possible is if the ring member follows these steps.

I know that is kind of a bummer. But, right now, that is just the way it is.

Removing the Error Membership

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 of the page)
    
4. Click on "View Ring Sites" (in the left column).
    
5. Look for the error membership.
    
6. Attempt to access the error membership.
    
7. If you can access it, click to "Leave this Ring"
    
8. If you receive an "Unauthorized Access" error message or a "Ring Does Not Exist" error message, then you must seek help to delete the duplicate: keep going.
    
9. Still being logged in to WebRing.com, go to
   http://r.webring.com/forum?forum=ringhelp;submitforummsg
    
10. Make the subject of the posting "Unauthorized Access". (Make this the subject even if the error message is "Ring Does Not Exist".)
     
11. In the body of the posting type "Unauthorized Access". (Make this the message even if the error message is "Ring Does Not Exist".)
     
12. Your posting will never appear. The moderator of the help forum will take action on your posting without actually permitting the posting to appear in the forum.
     
13. Forty-eight hours after you submit your post, the error membership should have been removed.
     
14. Even after the error membership is removed, it may still appear on the navbar stack until you force the navbar stack to rebuild. To force the navbar stack to rebuild, follow the instructions on this page.

Want to Know How I Know This?

I read this help page and this posting in the help forum.

Related Pages

What Are Those "Pending" and "Suspended" Bars: This article explains why you cannot see a navbar on a newly registered page until the membership is approved.  ««»»

How to Remove Duplicate Navbars: Sometimes the system creates duplicate navbars in your navbar stack. Usually (though not always) one of these is "suspended" or "pending". This article explains how to remove the duplicate. ««»»

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