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The WebRing.com System
Special Terms of Service for Commercial Sites in My Webrings in the WebRing.com System
This page provides the special Terms of Service for Commercial Sites with membership in my webrings in the WebRing.com system.
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This page is part of WebRing.com Help,
my extensive reference section about the WebRing.com system. WebRing.com was born 12.Oct.2001 when
Yahoo! left the webring business. It was reborn in Oct.2006 when
it had a major redesign and began charging for what had been a free
service.
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What are Terms of Service?
All ringmasters have "rules".
Terms of Service is just a fancy name for such rules.
It probably happened because lawyers don't like simple words when complex words will work and don't like one word when you can use three.
When you apply to my webring you agree to these rules.
These rules apply specifically to the webrings I own in the WebRing.com system.
They do not apply to webrings I own in other systems, like Ringlink, RingSurf, Bravenet or on any other webring system.
Are these all of my rules?
No. These are only the special rules that apply to Commercial Sites. Other rules that apply to all sites, including Commercial Sites, are on my general Terms of Service page.
What are Commercial Sites?
A Commercial Site is a site that sells stuff.
No, having "affiliate" links that pay you a little if someone buys something won't cause me to consider your site a Commercial Site.
But if you sell stuff you make or if you have a "shopping cart" or if you ship product, you will be a Commercial Site. If your site is to advertise stuff you sell, even if you do not sell it on the web, it is a Commercial Site. If your site is to advertise your business, it is a Commercial Site.
What about artist sites?
Artist sites come in two flavors: those that sell the artist's work and those that do not.
If you are an artist who sells your own work, I consider your site a Commercial Artist Site.
Most of my art webrings permit Commercial Artist Sites. They just need to follow the additional rules that apply to all Commercial Sites.
Can Commercial Sites join?
My webrings fall into five different categories as it relates to membership by Commercial Sites:
- Most of most of my webrings, the overwhelming majority, require that your site must be non-commercial. Do not submit your Commercial Site to these webrings. (Some of these webrings had Commercial Sites when I acquired them. I have "grandfathered' these and will continue to permit their membership, provided that they comply with these rules.)
- A few of my webrings explicitly permit Commercial Sites provided that the Commercial Site also provides substantial non-commercial information.
- A few of my webrings permit Commercial Artist Sites featuring the work of one artist. These do not permit general commercial or gallery sites.
- A few of my webrings permit Commercial Art Sites enabling both artist and general gallery sites to join. These do not permit general commercial sites.
- Some of my webrings permit Commercial Sites of all types.
- Finally, a few of my webrings are Inherently Commercial. Most of the sites in those webrings are commercial. It is the nature of those webrings.
As I update my webring descriptions, I am working to make the Commercial Site policy for each webring very clear.
If you encounter one of my webrings that does not explain whether Commercial Sites are permitted or if you have any doubts about a particular webring, just email me.
What are the rules?
1. Follow the Rules
You must meet these rules to be a member of the webrings I own in the WebRing.com system.
2. Follow the General Rules
These are not all the rules. These are special rules for Commercial Sites. You must also follow the rules for all sites. You can find those rules on my general Terms of Service page.
3. Only Submit Commercial Sites to My Webrings that Permit Commercial Sites
Do not submit Commercial Sites to my webrings that don't permit Commercial Sites.
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If you encounter one of my webrings that does not explain whether Commercial Sites are permitted or if you have any doubts about a particular webring, just email me.
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4. If Your Site is Commercial, Say So
Commercial Sites must must clearly and conspicuously disclose the site is commercial. One way is to display the words "Commercial Site" (or something very similar) in the description. Other ways are to clearly indicate that product is for sale or to indicate what forms of payment are accepted.
5. If Your Site is Commercial, Display the Navbar
Commercial Sites must display the navbar to all visitors at all times. Either (1) place the navbar in a separate stack or, (2) display the entire stack. The application confirmation email will contain more information. I can assist with this; just ask.
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Note that the requirement to display the navbar applies to all Commercial Sites, including Commercial Artist Sites and also sites in Inherently Commercial webrings.
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6. If the Webring is Inherently Commercial, You Do Not Need to Display the "Commercial Site" Notice
Only a few of my webrings (including all of my Gambling Webrings) are Inherently Commercial.
You do not need to display the "Commercial Site" notice if the
webring is Inherently Commercial. Sites in these few webrings are presumed to be commercial. If the webring is Inherently Commercial, it will be noted in the description and join page.
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I am still converting and assimilating webrings. If you encounter one of my webrings that you think should be labeled as Inherently Commercial that is not labeled like that, please email me and let me know.
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7. Commercial Artist Sites & Pages
Most of my art webrings admit "Commercial Artist Sites". These are sites (or individual pages) dedicated to a specific artist and showing that artist's work. In these webrings, general commercial sites are not admitted. And, commercial gallery sites are not admitted. The artist site or page must be independently hosted or hosted within a not-for-profit or co op gallery site. An artist page within a commercial gallery site does not qualify.
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The intention is to let artists sell their works without opening the door to commercial galleries and commercial suppliers of art materials. If you have any questions on this, please email me and ask.
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8. Commercial Gallery Sites & Pages
A few of my art webrings admit both "Commercial Artist Sites" and "Commercial Gallery Sites". "Commercial Artist Sites" are discussed above. "Commercial Gallery Sites" are simply commercial galleries which sell and promote art. These Commercial Gallery Sites are admitted to these webrings. General commercial sites are not admitted.
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The intention is to have some webrings which admit both artist and gallery sites. Commercial suppliers of art materials are not admitted to these types of webrings. If you have any questions on this, please email me and ask.
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9. Home Commercial & Micro-Commercial Sites
A few of my webrings admit "Home Commercial or Micro-Commercial Sites". These are sites (or individual pages)
which promote home business (or micro-business operate outside the home). In these webrings, commercial sites
for larger businesses are not admitted.
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The intention is to let
small home businesses (e.g., home crafts persons) sell their works without opening the door to
larger commercial operations and commercial suppliers of materials. If you have any questions on this, please email me and ask.
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10. Commercial Sites With Substantial Non-commercial Information Content
Some of my webrings admit "Commercial Sites" on the condition that the site contains substantial non-commercial information content. Whether a site qualifies is completely up to me. My general test is to ask whether a visitor would want to come to the site even if he will not buy anything.
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The intention is to admit sites with significant information without excluding a site that might have a commercial purpose. If you have any questions on this, please email me and ask.
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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.
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Webring
News and Announcements
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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