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Web Ring Help
Purpose: This web site provides help to the web masters who wish to join the web ring, or have joined the web ring and need to change the title, description and/or URL address in their web ring listing. Help is also available on Yahoo.
Have a question, an answer, or a problem not shown on the Know Problems page to add? Please send them to Wayne.
Frequently Asked Questions Index:
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers:
| 1. What is a web ring? |  Top |
A group of web sites with a common relationship (such as Square and Round Dancing) that are joined together in a Web Ring Listing and by a Navigational Control placed on each web site to allow anyone to visit the web sites in the web ring by traveling from site to site.
| 2. Who manages the Square and Round Dance Web Ring listing? | Top |
You do. The members of the ring are the ones who can help each other and the Ring Master to fix broken links, update out web site URL addresses in the web ring listing, e-mail te ring master when a problem is found that can not be resolved by e-mailing the web master for the web site with the problem.
| 3. Who is the Ring Master? | Top |
He is a dancer, the same as most of us. He started the Square and Round Dance Web Ring in 1996. Like many square dancers, he donates his time to perform the limited options available to him to manage the web ring such as setting a web site listing to 'active', 'suspended', and/or 'deleted'.
| 4. Who should I e-mail if I notice a problem such as broken links on one of the web sites? | Top |
E-mail the web master for the web site. We can help each other. E-mailing the Ring Master will only require him to have to e-mail the web master for the web site. If the web master needs more help, tell her/him to e-mail the Ring Master or perhaps another web site web master.
| 5. Does the Ring Master have a program that automatically checks all of the web sites in the web ring and removes the ones that do not have the web ring Navigation Bar/Links? | Top |
Yes, but he has turned it off. The program checks the specific URL address entered into each web ring listing to determine if the Navigation Bar/Links are present and automatically 'Suspends' web sites and sends an automatic/generic e-mail to the e-mail address in the web ring listing. The problem with using this program is that many web masters have entered into their web ring listing the URL address of their Home Page BUT they have placed the Navigation Bar/Links on anothe page such as their Links page or in a Frame that the automatic check program does not find. In Mid-March 2001 when this program was last tested, the result was the 'Suspendion' of many web sites including some with the new Navigation Bar on the Home Page and not in a Frame. In other words, ithe program failed. The automatic e-mail sent upset many of the web masters. The Ring Master turned the program off but the result was the activation of 130+ additional web site listings that should not have been made active because of problems such as the URL failed (Page Not Found) or the web master for the web site had not placed the Navigation Bar/Links anywhere on ther web site.
| 6. How is the web ring checked if the automatic program is turned off because of its limitation? | Top |
The only day-to-day check is the members and people who travers the web ring and notice a problem. A manual check of each web site listing and the Navigation Bar/Links on each web site was performed in March 2001 by one of the members. The result was a report to the Ring Master which lead to the deletion of 11 duplicate listings, 12 sites being suspended until the web masters could add the Navigation Bar, and 26 listings being deleted (Page Not Found).
| 7. What determines the order of the web ring listings and How can I determine which web site comes before and after mine? | Top |
Web site listings are added to the web ring by the Ring Master (setting the status to 'active'). New listings are added to the beginning of the list which makes them easy to locate for members wishing to view the lastest additions. Adding new web site listings moves all the the existing listings back in the list BUT it does not change the "ID" of a listing. Do not use search when you view the web ring listing and wish to see which listing is before and after your listing. You have to page through the listing to find your listing then view who your neighbors are.
| 8. How can I determine the ID number of my listing? | Top |
View your web site listing in the web ring and position the mouse cursor over the Title, then look in the status area at the bottom of the window and you will see "id=###" in the link.
| 9. How can I determine if the Navigation Bar (or the older style HTML Links) on my web site have the same ID as my web ring listing? | Top |
Position the mouse cursor over the links such as Next and Prev and view the status area at the bottom of the window and you will see "id=###" in the link.
| 10. Can I have more than one web ring listing for my web site? | Top |
Yes and No. Yes you can have more than one listing and get more than one ID and put the Navigation Bar/Links for each ID on the different pages of your web site. No - you can not have more than one listing for the exact same URL/web page. Duplicate listings for the same web page 'short circuit' the web ring meaning - many web sites are not seen when navigating from site to site.
| 11. My listing was in the web ring before Yahoo assumed control of the web ring. Now that the Web Ring has left Yahoo, can I create a new Username and link it to my existing listing? | Top |
Yes. You can create a new Username and contact the Ring Master (or contact me and I'll contact the Ring Master for you) to have the new Username linked/associated with your original listing so you will be able to edit it and perhaps use the "Get Navigation Bar" option to update the web ring links on your web site.
| 12. I forgot my new Web Ring Username. Can the Ring Master help me so I can update my listing? | Top |
Yes, I believe he can. On Yahoo, The Ring Master did not have access to Usernames or passwords. You had to create a new Username and a new listing then have the Ring Master delete your old listing.
| 13. I forgot my Yahoo Password. What can I do? | Top |
Since the Web Ring has moved off Yahoo, you no longer need your Yahoo ID for the Web Ring.
| 14. Which web page is the Navigation Bar/Links supposed to be on? | Top |
The URL address you enter in your web ring listing is supposed to have the Navigation Bar/Links so the Automatic check program can determine that your web site still exists and has the required Navigation. Some web master wish to put the Navigation Bar/Links on a Links page or someplace other than the Home Page so the URL entered into the web ring listing should be the Links page and not the Home Page. Note: Because many members do not have the Navigation Bar/Links on the web page whose URL address is in the web ring, the Ring Master has turned off the Automatic check routine at this time. With no automatic check, the only check that the web ring is not broken, is from day-to-day use and the reporting of problems to the web master whose web site is at fault. If the web master for the faulty web site can not be contacted, e-mail the Ring Master.
| 15. My website still uses the older style HTML links for the web ring navigation, do I have to replace them with the new Navigation Bar? | Top |
No, the old HTML web ring links will still work. It might be best to take 5 minutes and update the links to the newer URLs. The new Web Ring allows you to choose either the Navigation Bar script or a table of HTML links. Neither requires editing.
| 16. Why do the "Skip Prev" and "Prev" links on many web sites with the old HTML links fail? | Top |
The HTML links are incomplete. The problem was with the code fragment these web masters copied and edited. The code fragment was incomplete for these two links so when the web master replaced all of the "your_id" areas with the number of their ID in ther web ring, they did not see "your_id" in the "Skip Prev" or "Prev" links.
| 17. What are the correct links for "Skip Prev" and "Prev" in the old HTML links? | Top |
The link for "Skip Prev" should end with: squareup&id=YOUR_ID&sprev" target="_top" (where YOUR_ID is replaced with the ID number of web site listing). The link for "Prev" should end with: squareup&id=YOUR_ID&prev" target="_top" (where YOUR_ID is replaced with the ID number of web site listing).
| 18. Why does the old HTML link for the "Next Site" image open the next web site in the FRAME of the previous web site? | Top |
Again the code fragment copied by the web master was at fault. It did not have target="_top" at the end.
| 19. What is the old HTML code fragment that looks like the new Web Ring (or Yahoo) Navigation Bar? | Top |
<table
border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"
bgcolor="#FCCCA0" bordercolor="#000000">
<tr>
<td align="center" width="85"><a
href="http://W.webring.com/go?ring=squareup"><img
src="sdringlg.gif"
align="left" hspace="0" width="80"
height="80"></a><font size="2"
face="Arial"> </font>
</td>
<td align="center"><p align="center"><font
size="3" face="Arial"><strong> This
</strong></font><a
href="http://w.webring.com/go?ring=squareup"><font
size="3" face="Arial"><strong>Square
and Round
Dance Web Ring</strong></font></a><font size="3"
face="Arial"><strong> site ID=YOUR_ID</strong></font><font
size="2" face="Arial"><br>
is owned by the </font><a
href="mailto:WEB
MASTER'S E-MAIL ADDRESS"><font
size="2" face="Arial">TITLE
OF YOUR WEB SITE</font></a><font
size="2" face="Arial">.<br>
[</font><a
href="http://w.webring.com/go?ring=squareup&id=YOUR_ID&prev5"
target="_top"><font size="2" face="Arial">List
Previous 20</font></a><font size="2"
face="Arial">
| </font><a
href="http://w.webring.com/go?ring=squareup&id=YOUR_ID&next5"
target="_top"><font size="2" face="Arial">List
Next 20</font></a><font size="2" face="Arial">
| </font><a
href="http://w.webring.com/go?ring=squareup&list"
target="_top"><font size="2" face="Arial">List
Sites</font></a><font size="2" face="Arial">
| </font><a
href="http://w.webring.com/go?ring=squareup&id=YOUR_ID&random"
target="_top"><font size="2" face="Arial">Random</font></a><font
size="2" face="Arial">] <br>
[</font><a
href="http://w.webring.com/go?ring=squareup&id=YOUR_ID&sprev"
target="_top"><font size="2" face="Arial"><<
Skip Prev</font></a><font size="2" face="Arial">
| </font><a
href="http://w.webring.com/go?ring=squareup&id=YOUR_ID&prev"
target="_top"><font size="2" face="Arial"><
Prev</font></a><font size="2" face="Arial">
| </font><a
href="http://w.webring.com/go?ring=squareup&id=YOUR_ID&next"
target="_top"><font size="2" face="Arial">Next
></font></a><font size="2" face="Arial">
| </font><a
href="http://w.webring.com/go?ring=squareup&id=YOUR_ID&skip"
target="_top"><font size="2" face="Arial">Skip
Next >></font></a><font size="2"
face="Arial">]</font></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
| 20. Where is the link to the web master for the web site supposed to be in the old HTML code fragment? | Top |
In the "is owned by the </font><a href="mailto:WEB MASTER'S E-MAIL ADDRESS"> section.
| 21. I moved my web site to a new URL address. Do I have to change the URL in my web ring listing? | Top |
Yes. Only the person with the Username (and password) can edit the listing and change the URL address. The Ring Master can not change your listing. Having a pointer from your old web site to your new web site still requires you to update your web ring listing to have your new URL address.
Log into the web ring and get the Navigational Bar script again. Be sure the Navigation Bar is shown completely on the "Get Navigation Bar" screen. Seeing only a partial Navigation Bar on ther "Get Navigation Bar" screen indicates a problem. When getting the Navigation Bar, position the mouse cursor over the Next and Previous links and view the status area to see what ID is in ther links. Then view your lisiting in the web ring and position the mouse cursor over the title to see the ID in the link to your web site. The ID in the Navigatio Bar links and the ID in your web ring listing MUST BE the same. If the IDs are not the same, you might have more than one listing in ther web ring for the same web site URL address. If the IDs are the same, be sure to click the Finish button of the "Get Navigation Bar" screen. This has been know to signal to Yahoo that you did in fact get the Navigation Bar and caused the entire Navigation Bar to appear on your web site.
| 23. Ok, I've done everything in the previous help but the new Navigation Bar still fails to show, now what?? | Top |
Log in to the web ring and use the "Remove Site" option to remove your web site. Later, log back in and join the web ring again. The script you get for the Navigational Bar (and your ID) will probably be the same but going through the sets and ensureing to click the Finish button has been know to fix the problem WHEN the Ring Master makes your web site active again. Contact the Ring Master and tell him the problem and what you have done to try and solve it so he knows you are waiting to have your web site reactivating and that you are not just a new member joining the ring.
| 24. Were all of the problems with existing web sites resolved in March 2001 by the manual check? | Top |
No. All of the problems were noted and the web masters e-mailed but not all of the web masters have had time to fix the web sites or their web site listings. After allowing more time and more e-mails, if the problems are not resolved, the Ring Master will be asked to suspend the web sites that have broken links, no Navigation Bar/Links, incorrect URL addresses in the web ring list and other problems.
| 25. Is there a list of known problems? | Top |
Yes, see the Know Problems page.
| 26. Are these all of the questions and answers? | Top |
No, more will be added as time allows and from input from other web ring members.
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This Square and Round Dance Web
Ring
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