The WebRing.com System

Why Can't a RingMaster See the Navbar on New and Suspended Sites

This article is no longer accurate. It describes a functioning of the WebRing.com system that has been changed. It remains on this site for historical reasons only.

To see the most current information on this topic, see my page about the "pending" and "suspended" bars.

If you are trying to find out why only one navbar appears on your page instead of the entire navbar stack, see my page about Why Is Only One Navbar Showing on My Page: The Single Navbar Option  

Many ringmasters have written me wondering why they can't see the navbar for their particular webring on new and suspended sites in their webring on the WebRing.com system.

This article explains that the reason is that they are not supposed to be able to.

Changes Happened

This article was originally written to describe the navbar stack behavior under Yahoo! Webring. It was then adapted to the WebRing.com system.

Since that writing, the WebRing.com system adopted some of the suggestions made by members. Changing the behavior of the JavaScript based navbar stack for pending and suspended members was a major change. Also, the navbar stack "shell" was removed.

The prior behavior (described below) was a source of continued confusion for the memberships. That confusion was the original reason for writing this explanatory page.

I have kept this page for historical purposes.

Please keep in mind that this page is now out of date and that the description below no longer applies to the WebRing.com system. A new page on my system describes the new behavior and the use of Pending and Suspended Bars.

Different to the Original WebRing System

The navbar system used by the WebRing.com system is the direct descendant of the navbar system introduced by Yahoo! WebRing. And the navbar system introduced by Yahoo! WebRing worked differently to the Original WebRing system.

On the Original WebRing system the ringmaster needed to go to a site to confirm that the WebMaster had added the navigation code before approving a site for membership.

This is no longer true with the WebRing.com system.

How the WebRing.com System JavaScript Works

	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 webmaster must place the JavaScript on his page. But, and this is the important part, he only needs to do it once. Once he has put it on his page, that one piece of JavaScript will automatically suck in every navbar registered to that WebRing.com system ID and registered to that particular page.

There are two parameters in the JavaScript code: the "Y" parameter and the "U" number.

The "Y" parameter turns out to be simply the WebRing.com system ID of the member.

The "U" number is a seventeen or eighteen-digit number that is assigned to the registered URL. It might be a seventeen or eighteen digit number from the old Yahoo! WebRing system. Or it might be a shorter eight digit number assigned by the WebRing.com system.

These two values, the "Y" parameter and the "U" number, let the JavaScript say to the WebRing.com system:

Give me all the navbars for the WebRing.com system ID I'm sending that are registered for the URL that goes with the "U" number I am sending.

This lets a single JavaScript code create an entire navbar stack.

Want an example? Check out this navbar stack. This stack is created with just one JavaScript.

What Are the Parts of the Navbar Stack?

There are two primary parts of a navbar stack:

1. The individual navbars
    
2. The navbar stack shell

The navbar stack shell is the gray border that surrounds the individual navbars. The navbar stack shell will exist once the JavaScript is placed on the page, even if no memberships in the WebRing.com system have been approved. If there are no approved memberships in the WebRing.com system, the navbar stack shell will just exist as a single narrow bar. But that will alert a ringmaster that at least some JavaScript has been placed on the page.

Unless customized by the ringmaster, the individual navbars are the webring name, an optional picture and the links to navigate that particular webring.

(For examples, go to my WebRing.com System Glossary.)

When Does an Individual Navbar Appear?

The individual navbar only appears after the membership has been approved. It is impossible for a ringmaster to see the navbar before approval.

However, it is possible for a ringmaster to test your page and to only approve the membership if the JavaScript is there. This is a new feature of the WebRing.com system, introduced after the spin off from Yahoo!

The behavior in the WebRing.com system is different from the old Yahoo! WebRing system. In the Yahoo! WebRing system, the answer depended on who you were.

For the world at large, an individual navbar appeared after membership has been approved. But for the owner of the membership, the navbar could appear before approval. This behavior resulted in thousands of confused emails. This confusion is one of the reasons that this behavior was changed in the WebRing.com system.

So What Should a RingMaster Check?

While the ringmaster cannot check visually for the existence of a navbar, the ringmaster can use the new test feature to check for the presence of the JavaScript.

However, many ringmasters who are using the Automatic Management features, choose to admit a member without the required JavaScript, knowing that the Automatic Management System (see below) will suspend the member in a week or so, if the JavaScript is not added.

Other ringmaster admit the member and immediately suspend him. They know that the Automatic Management System will readmit the member once the JavaScript is present.

Perhaps the most important thing for a ringmaster to check, however, has nothing to do with the JavaScript at all. It has to do with the suitability of the site for membership. RingMasters should review the site to be certain that they want that particular site in their webring.

How Could It Be Wrong JavaScript?

Assuming that a navbar stack appears (even an empty one), two basic things could be wrong:

1. The WebRing.com User ID could be different, or
    
2. The registered URL could be different.

I have assisted ringmasters with both of these problems.

Wrong WebRing.com User ID

In the first case, the person had registered for another webring using one WebRing.com User ID and had the navbar stack on the page showing that navbar.

Then that person registered for another webring using a new WebRing.com User ID. The person did not realize that using a second ID would require a second set of JavaScript.

The result is that a navbar stack appears, but after approving the membership, the navbar did not appear. The reason is that the navbar stack was for the other WebRing.com User ID and the JavaScript for the second WebRing.com User ID had not been placed on the page.

Wrong URL

In this case the person had registered the main page of their site for another Webring.com WebRing. But they put the JavaScript on their webring page.

Then when they joined the second WebRing.com webring they registered the webring page.

The result is you could see a navbar stack, but after approving the membership, the navbar did not appear. The reason is that navbar stack was for the other registered URL.

How Fast Should the Individual Navbar Appear?

Certainly within 24 hours. Usually within a few minutes.

This means that after approval, a ringmaster can easily check back right away to see if the navbar appeared.

Also, the ringmaster has the new WebRing.com Automated Management System (AMS).

What Does the AMS Do?

The AMS checks member sites to ensure that the JavaScript exists. If it determines that the required JavaScript code does not appear it will "mark" that site as "broken". A ringmaster can use the Manage Members function to see all member sites that are "broken" and take appropriate action. Also a ringmaster can use the same page to ask the AMS to retest a site.

In addition, a ringmaster can direct the AMS to automatically suspend broken sites and to readmit sites that are suspended but no longer broken.

Summary

Don't expect to see the individual navbar for a WebRing.com webring before the site is approved. The navbar only appears after the site is approved.

And, if you have suspended the site because the navbar does not appear, don't expect to be able to see it before you readmit the site. It will only appear after you readmit the site.

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.

Please keep in mind that this page is now out of date and that the description below no longer applies to the WebRing.com system. A new page on my system describes the new behavior and the use of Pending and Suspended Bars.

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