Welcome to WebRing's FAQ Page All the questions and answers you find below were submitted by members just like you! Our philosophy behind the member-generated FAQ is to allow WebRing members to offer peer-to-peer help based on their own experiences. Do you have a question or would you like to answer one? Visit the FAQ Submission page. Newly Added Questions My Code does not PASS but is there. What's wrong? Why do I need a NavBar? Can I add SSNB code to my WordPress site or must I use HTML? How do I do it? Can I add the javascript SSNB navigation code to my Google sites page? How do I add a NavBar to my Blogspot blog? How do I add a NavBar to my Webs.com site? How do I add a NavBar to my Weebly.com site? How do I add the navigation code to my Tripod (Lycos) site? How do I install the SSNB code on a Godaddy hosted site? Can SSNB code be installed on a WIX site? How do I add navigation code to a Joomla site? How do I add navigation code to a 1and1.com site? Every time I go to the Shoutbox, either no one is there to answer my question or everyone there is talking about personal stuff. What kind of support is that? Newly Added Answers Why do I need a NavBar? In order to be part of a ring 'community' you need to share the same navigation code with all the other members. It is what allows users to move from site to site within the ring, and allows WebRing to send traffic to your site from our ring 'hub' pages.Back to Top Every time I go to the Shoutbox, either no one is there to answer my question or everyone there is talking about personal stuff. What kind of support is that? The shoutbox is there to allow people to yack it up, it is not a recongnized support tool - though staff do read it from time to time to get the 'pulse' of the community. So, don't *expect* help, BUT having said that, you can get some really great help if a good seasoned veteran is online. If you need help, however, your best bet is to use one of the support forums. Those ARE monitored by staff. Back to TopHow do I add the navigation code to my Tripod (Lycos) site? Here's how to install code on a tripod site: At WebRing:
At Tripod:
Make sure to return to your WebRing area, click the Memberships tab and go to your site maintenance area and click the TEST link to have the system checker examine the code. Back to TopHow do I install the SSNB code on a godaddy hosted site? Here's how to install code on a GoDaddy site: At WebRing:
At GoDaddy:
Make sure to return to your WebRing area, click the Memberships tab and go to your site maintenance area and click the TEST link to have the system checker examine the code. Back to TopGeneral What is a ring? A 'hub'? A ring, or webring, is a group of topically related websites linked together using a common bit of navigation code (links) that allows users to go from one site to another in the ring easily.^M A 'hub' is the WebRing webpage that lists the active members of a ring. It exists to attract users to a ring by presenting a list of member sites to choose from. Because the hub is given a title, description and logo along with the member site list it often places much higher in search engine results than the individual sites can, enabling the 'hub' to attract more visitors. The hub enables the 'sum' to be more visible than the individual parts. Back to TopAccounts Is Webring Free? Basic membership in WebRing is free! It costs nothing to join Webring (as a free member), join WebRing communities, create and manage your own WebRing, browse through rings and member sites, or manage your account. You may only be pending in five WebRings at a time as a free member, but you may join as many rings as you want (once you're no longer pending in five) and it never costs anything. If you are active in WebRing and earn activity points, you may even be able to adopt existing WebRings without spending any cash! WebRing also offers a premium membership (WebRing 2.0) that costs $36 a year. Some of the perks of a 2.0 membership include the following:
You are not required to do any of these things, but you may find them enjoyable or even lucrative. Want to upgrade? Back to TopHow do I change my password? To change your password, follow these steps:
On the Account Settings page, you can change your password. Remember to scroll down and click the "I agree. Change my info." button to officially change your password. Back to TopHow do I change my email address? To change your password, follow these steps:
On the Account Settings page, you can change your email address. Then scroll down and click the "I agree. Change my info." button to officially change your email. Remember to check your email account for a verification link. Your WebRing account will be limited if you do not verify your email address after changing it. Back to TopHow can I edit my Account Settings? Scroll down on your My Account page, then click the Edit Profile tab. When the Edit Profile page opens, click on Edit General Account Settings. The Account Settings page will then open for you to edit.Back to Top How many Activity Points are needed to become a member in level 2.0 for free for a year and for life? You can redeem 300 Activity Points for one month of 2.0 level membership. If you would like a one year 2.0 level membership, then you would need 3600 Activity Points (300 AP x 12). WebRing does not currently offer a 2.0 level lifetime membership which can be redeemed via Activity Points; however, you can retain your 2.0 membership at a rate of 300 AP's per month as long as WebRing continues to offer it. Back to TopHow do I delete my account? To delete your WebRing account, you must first quit any WebRing Commuities (rings) in which you are a member. To do this, follow these steps:
What am I supposed to do after signing up? If you have a site and want to join a ring, follow these steps.
If you have not heard from the ring manager after a week, send him/her a note. If you still have not heard from him/her after another week, contact WebRing support. Back to TopWhat do I do on WebRing if I don't have a site? You can create a blog or website on WebRing itself if you'd like. Or you can post in ring forums/discussion areas whether you have a site or not.Back to Top How do I cancel my account? Please see this Help Page and follow the instructions there. Back to Top If you don't receive it (check your junk/bulk folder), OR if you've changed your email address and forgot to update your account then contact support using teh member support forum. Be sure to include your User ID when asking for help, and anything else (like PART of your email - don't use the whole to avoid spamming - or your site URL, etc) to help us be sure we're talking with the rightful owner of the account. Back to TopRing Memberships How do I join a WebRing? After signing up for a WebRing account and logging in, search the Directory for a ring suited to the topic or theme of your website, navigate your way to the "Hub Page" for that ring, and on it you will find a link to "add your site to this ring". Click on that link and follow the clear instructions from there.Back to Top How do I join a particular ring? 1. Log into your account (you can also create an account on the spot if you do not have one, but we're assuming you already have an account. if you don't there is just one step that the system takes care of for you in the following steps, so...read on!)^M 2. Visit the ring's hub page. If you know the URL great. If not, enter some keywords in the search box at the top of your My Account (or directory, or front page) and search for the ring. ^M3. Once on the hub page, find the "Add your site to this ring" or JOIN link (could be big green box, but will be there in any case) and click ^M4. Follow the instructions which will vary from here depending whether you already have the navigation code on your page or not, are a member or not.... ^M5. If you need to install the navigation code on your page then do so right away. If you put it off you'll forget about it and some managers will deny your membership (even though they should only base their decision on content). Back to TopIf a WebRing manager has written Join Instructions, can I skip them if I already know how to apply to a ring and put code on my page? You would do well to read any special Join Instructions a manager has provided. They will include what kind of sites the manager does or does not take as well as more general directions. If you skip them, you risk submitting an inappropriate site.Back to Top How do I find the right WebRing Community (ring) for my site? Use keywords to search for rings. Then check out the other sites on the ring to see if yours will fit in.Back to Top Why am I not in the ring I joined? If you have just applied to a WebRing, you must wait to be approved into the ring before your site will show up as a member. You are not a member of that ring until you are approved. If you have been an active member of a WebRing and suddenly your site is no longer in the member list, chances are you have been suspended or deleted from the site. One last reason you may be unable to find your site in the member list is if the ring is very large; you may be lost in a sea of members. You may want to consider paying a small monthly fee to be featured in that ring. That way, your site will always be listed right at the top! Back to TopWhy isn't my site showing up in search results? Search results, *except when searching within a specific ring*, generally do not show site listings, they only show rings; then, users navigate to the ring, where your site is listed along with other sites.^M It's a more powerful way for users to quickly narrow down their search to just the right topic, or ring. They can further refine their search by searching 'within the ring' from the ring's hub page ^MThere is one exception: Premium members have their sites added to the results. It's an extra perk for being a premium member. Back to TopCan my web site join more than one ring? Is there a limit on the number of rings my site can join? You may join as many rings as you want. However, there is a limit on how many rings you may apply to at one time. If you are a free member you may apply to and be pending in five rings at a time; for 2.0 members the limit is 20. A free member who is pending in five rings must wait for the at least one application to be approved or denied before applying to another ring. The pending limit is per member, not per page. You may have one page pending in five rings, or five pages pending in one ring, but the limit, if you are a free member, is still five.Back to Top Why is my site still Pending when I joined the ring more than two weeks ago? The two most probable answers are that either the Ring Manager has not had time to check and approve your site, or there is some reason why your site has not been approved. The most likely problem is usually due to an incorrectly added NavBar. Make sure that your NavBar displays correctly on the URL that you have in your account settings. If nothing further happens, contact the Ring Manager and ask if there is a problem. Back to TopI have a brand new website but nothing is on it yet. Should I join a WebRing? Most WebRing managers would prefer to consider websites with some kind of content in them relating to the topic of the ring. WebRing isn't going anywhere; why don't you wait until you have some content, and then apply to a ring?Back to Top NavBars What's a NavBar? A NavBar is like an interactive banner that shows up on your webpage after you have added the SSNB navigation code. The SSNB code is specific to your registered URL (web page), and the less used HTML code is specific to each ring you have joined. The NavBar allows visitors to navigate from one member site to another, within a given ring, and also shows the world you are a member of a certain ring. A NavBar helps to collect statistics about the traffic coming to your site from WebRing and to WebRing from your site. The NavBar is NOT an ad and does NOT monitor your activities or in any other way invade your privacy. Back to TopWhat is navigation code? "Navigation code" is the code that creates the WebRing NavBar.Back to Top Where do I get a NavBar? Navbars, or navigation code, are based on a ring. Each ring has a navbar that the manager of the ring customizes to suite the ring's topic. ^M The navbar that shows on a member's website is determined by the ring, or rings, that the website has been submitted to. Back to TopHow do I add a NavBar to my site? For MOST websites the navigation code, or navbar,, is displayed on the site via a javascript call made to the WebRing server. The javascript, or SSNB as it's been named on WebRing, is assigned to the website when the URL is registered with WebRing. It can be obtained by visiting the Membership Information tab in easch member's My Account area.Back to Top Why should I use SSNB NavBar code instead of HTML NavBar code? An SSNB NavBar is more simple for webring members because it requires less attention. An HTML NavBar would require maintanence for any change a Manager of a webring may decide to make to a NavBar. With an SSNB NavBar, the Manager can make one change and it will be applied to every webring member's NavBar without any need for the member to edit the code on their site.Back to Top How can I change the look of my NavBar? There are three answers to that... First, the look of the SSNB NavBars are decided and set by the Ring Manager, so generally, they cannot be changed by ring members, unless you decide to personalize your navbar. Second, with permission from your ring manager, you can choose to use the HTML code version of the ring NavBar and adjust it if you need to. This is not a recommended approach as the HTML version occasionally requires updates and are specific to one ring only. Third, if you are the manager of a ring, you can change the look of the NavBar by going to the "Navigation Code" link under Customization in the management settings for the ring in question. Back to TopIf I join 3 rings, do I have to add 3 NavBars to my site? You only need to add the SSNB code once per URL (web page) you register with WebRing. All rings you join will use that one piece of code. Anytime you register a new URL, you must add the SSNB code to that URL. If you decide to use the HTML code, you must place the HTML code for each ring you join on each URL you submit to those rings. WebRing highly recommends the use of the SSNB code. Back to TopI belong to more than one ring but I only see one navbar. Why and what can I do? There can be Two reasons for this. First, if you personalize your navbar then only one makes sense to show (they would all look the same). If you have not personalized your navbar then your display is displaying as the default. The navbar that shows is either the first in your list (which you can change), OR the ring the user is currently navigating. If you are the second case and wish to show more (or all) then please visit the Membership Information tab in your My Account area and click the edit settings link for the URL you wish to configure. That page has a number of options available to change how your navbar(s) display. Back to Top To personalize, visit the Membership Information tab in your My Account area and click teh Get SSNB Code link for the URL you'd like to work with. On that page you will see teh link to personalize your navbar near the top. Warning: when you personalize the system will only display ONE navbar (see single navbar answer above) and no link to your full list if you belong to more than one ring. In essence you are given almost complete control over what displays, so if you DO belong to more than one ring and you want to link to your full list you need to add the link to your page yourself. That link is part of the optional noscript part of the SSNB code. Just make sure it's outside the noscript tags! Back to Top
That should be it. As always go to your member management area for the ring you have submitted the site to and click the TEST link to have the system verify the code. Back to TopHow do I add a NavBar to my Webs.com site? Webs.com is similar to many services where an HTML button is provided for inserting HTML into your page:
That should be it. As always go to your member management area for the ring you have submitted the site to and click the TEST link to have the system verify the code. Back to TopHow do I add a NavBar to my Weebly.com site? Weebly is quite straightforward:
That should be it. As always go to your member management area for the ring you have submitted the site to and click the TEST link to have the system verify the code. Back to TopCan I add SSNB code to my WordPress site or must I use HTML? How do I do it? YES! Maybe. WordPress comes in several "flavors." The one "flavor" that does not accept the javascript code is the one hosted by WordPress itself. If your site is hosted elsewhere then it *should* accept the javascript (SSNB) code unless the version is obsolete. We suggest trying the basic SSNB installationfirst, then see if it works. If not, then contact us via the Member Support forum and we'll enable the HTML code for you. The basic steps are:
Back to Top Can I add the javascript SSNB navigation code to my Google sites page? YES! Absolutely. Here's the basic process: Sign in and go to edit the page you registered with WebRing. That's where the code will go. Click Insert then select more gadgets. Your defaulted into 'featured" gadgets. Click the public link to access all. Enter 'Embed Script' in the search and submit it. Look for the Embed script that says 'Enter the SRC attribute of the SCRIPT tag' and click that one In the src text box enter the src portion of the SSNB code assigned to the URL you registered at WebRing (get it from the Membership Information tab, then Get SSNB Code link there). Set the width to about 500 and height to around 250. You can cehck or uncheck the other options. Save it, view it and don't forget to go to your site maintenance screen on WebRing to TEST it. that will speed your acceptance into the ring in most cases. Back to TopCan SSNB code be installed on a WIX site? Yes! Here's how to install code on a WIX site: At WebRing:
At WIX:
Check your site after to see it's there THEN: How do I add navigation code to a Joomla site? First off, Joomla does not accept javascript. So you will have to have your account enabled for HTML code. Use the WebRing Support forum to ask for this. Once enabled you can get the HTML navigation code for the ring you have applied to. Follow these steps to install it:
How do I add navigation code to a 1and1.com site? Here's how to install code on a 1and1.comsite: At WebRing:
How do I add the navigation code(WebRing code) to a MySpace site so I can join a WebRing Community (WebRing)? Myspace is tricky. First, you have to add the navigation code as ring specific HTML (see faq entry for needing to use HTML instead of SSNB). Second, like microsoft live and a few others, they 'obfuscate' and intercept links, so the system checker is not able to see if you have added the code or not. Why do they do this? Big companies have small brains and fragile egos...Well, they do so so they can put up interstitial ads, track your actins, etc. The bottom line is that you'll have to ask for a 'manual review' of your site once you add teh code and see that it 'sort of works' use the member support forum here to ask for a manual review. Back to TopMy code does not PASS but is there. What's wrong? Check this first: Make sure the registered URL is the one where you placed the code. That's the page the system tests. If all that is correct and the code 'works' (links work to take you to WebRing - next/previous may not work if you're not acative) then you may have a host that 'hides' addons like javascript. iWeb does this; so does MS live and MySpace. Others may too. If you think this is the case, post a request in the member support forum asking for a manual review of the site.Back to Top I have cancelled my former hosting co and have put together a new web site with a new hosting co. How do I delete the old site and install the new in the ring? If your new site is similar enough in content to the old one, it is very easy to make the change. Do not delete your membership(s). All you need to do is edit the information about the site.
On this page you may change any or all of the following: the URL of your page, the page's title and its description. Change the old URL to the new one, and if the title or description needs a change, do that too. Click the "Submit" button at the bottom of the page when you've finished. You do this once only. The system will update all the membership you have for that URL entry. Back to TopMy website host will only allow html not javascript. Can I get or alter the navbars to html? Yes. You just need to make the request via the WebRing support forum and one of the staff will enable the HTML code for you. Once this is done you can get the HTML code for each RING you are a member of by visiting the site maintannce screen for your site. The link to site maintenance is found on the memberships tab of your My Account area Some hosts that do not allow javascript:
Ring Management As a Ring Manager, what are reasonable grounds for deleting or suspending a site apart from missing code and other navigation issues? Suspension and deletion are two useful tools. Here's the guideline: 1. Delete if the site is not appropriate for the ring in terms of content 2. Otherwise, suspend it if for some reason it should not be active in the ring (i.e., missing code, code obscuerd or on a links page and you don't accept thos, etc). In other words, if there is a problem but the problem *could* be fixed, then suspend. For another option: 3. If code is OK, and in the right place etc. but the site is 'not quite right' for the ring - this will most often be because it is a commercial site selling items *related* to the ring (like a car cover site in a Ford ring, or pet supplies in a breed ring, etc) then you can flag the sites as *associated* in the Manage Members screen. The site gets to stay in the ring, but on a different tab on the hub page from the main sites. Back to TopWhy is my ring up for adoption? Usually, a person loses a ring for not managing it, or for being unavailable by email. If something needs to be done to a ring, WebRing will send an email to the manager. If the email bounces, or the manager doesn't respond, WebRing may take the ring away. This is why it is so important to make sure you keep a current email address, and that you respond when WebRing asks you to manage your ring.Back to Top How can I start my own ring? The first step in creating your own ring is to check and see if a ring just like it already exists. If one does, you may still create a ring, but since it will not be unique, it might be difficult to find members to join.
NOTE: If you have failing code, or manage a ring or two with less than four active members, you will not be permitted to create a ring of your own until those issues are resolved. In addition, you will need to have a URL (web page) ready to submit to your own ring, so it will have at least one member! Back to TopWhy is someone else listed as the manager of my ring? Generally speaking, you "lose" control of a ring if you do not tend to management matters in a timely manner and ignore (or worse, do not receive) continued WebRing notices to manage your ring. You get quite a bit of warning. The only way you will not know about losing your ring ahead of time is if you do not have a current email address in your Account settings. Once you have been removed as manager, WebRing will either appoint a manager or put the Ring up for Auction. Back to TopIs it appropriate to delete member sites when their profile page says that they were here over 2 years ago? It depends on how up-to-date the actual site is. If the site is badly out of date or contains nothing substantial, then delete it from the ring. If the site is reasonably up-to-date and on-topic, then it is still a benefit to the ring.Back to Top How do I offer a ring for auction? Go to your Global Settings management page for the ring and fill in the auction fields. Be sure to keep managing the ring until it is taken by another member!Back to Top Can I adopt a ring? Sure. Visit the WebRing auctions area - you can use the link at the bottomof any page to see what rings are currently up for 'adoption.' All it will cost you are some activity points. Acitivty points are earned by doing things on WebRing, like posting in discussion areas/forums, uploading your profile picture, or just by visiting WebRing regularly.Back to Top Promotion How do I feature my site in a WebRing, and how much does it cost? There are two avenues to featuring your site in a WebRing Community. The easiest way is to open the "Memberships" tab of your My Account page. If any of the rings you belong to offer it, you will see the "feature here!" link. Click the link, then follow the instructions below.
You can also feature your site from the ring hub page. To do so, look for the "Membership/tools" menu below the ring title bar then proceed with the following:
You will notice that the manager suggests a monthly fee. You are not obligated to pay the suggested fee, and can offer whatever fee you choose; however, the minimum promotion amount cannot be less than 20 cents. In addition, only three sites can be featured at a time and only the top three paying sites will be featured. Back to TopMy Account Pages How do I change my site info? To change the infomation you have registered with a specific ring...
These changes will only apply to your site in that particular WebRing and will not affect the information for the URL in the rings it belongs to. You can change the information for a URL in all the rings it belongs to at once. This is called a global change. To do so...
On the page that opens you can change a lot of things, including the URL itself (not recommended unless you have made a typo), the title and the description. If you change the title and/or description here, it will be changed for all the rings it belongs to (globally). Back to TopHow do I add an icon for my posts on the Shoutbox? From your account page, click Profile settings. On that page you can upload a picture to use as your icon.Back to Top Do I have to view my WebRing memberships in alphabetical order? I'd rather see which of my sites are failing in what rings, or where I am still pending. When viewing the "Memberships" tab of your My Account page, you have many sorting options. Just above the first ring title, you will see a row of sorting options, including alphebetically in ascending or descending order, rings that are featuring you, rings in which you are pending, rings in which you are suspended, and rings in which you have sites with failing code. Click on your preferred sorting option to resort the list.Back to Top |