The WebRing.com System

What Are Those "Pending" and "Suspended" Bars

Many navbar stacks in the WebRing.com system have a small, ugly, brown bar indicating that the site is either "pending" or "suspended".

This article explains what these bars are and how they came to be.

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. The old Yahoo! WebRing system assigned seventeen and eighteen digit numbers. The WebRing.com system uses a shorter eight digit number.

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 for active memberships
    
2. Pending and Suspended bars for inactive memberships

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

The Pending and Suspended bars show that the site is either "pending" for a webring or has been "suspended" from a webring.

(For examples, see below. See also my WebRing.com System Glossary.)

So What Should a RingMaster Check?

The introduction of the "Pending" and "Suspended" navbars permit a ringmaster to check visually for the existence of the require JavaScript code. In addition, the ringmaster can use the new test feature to check for the presence of the JavaScript.

In addition, many ringmasters who are using the Automatic Management features, choose to admit a member without the required JavaScript. They have their webring set to admit such members in a suspended state, knowing that the Automatic Management System (see below) will automatically active the member in a week or so, if the JavaScript has been added.

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.

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.

Examples

Example of an "Active" Navbar

Navbar shows a membership active for the webring "Pegasus".

Example of a "Pending" Navbar

Navbar shows a membership pending for the webring "Pegasus".

Example of a "Suspended" Navbar

Navbar shows a membership suspended in the webring "Pegasus".

But Why Do I Only See One?

One of the changes the WebRing.com system made in July of 2002 was called the Single Navbar Option. This change causes only one navbar to appear at a time. If you only see one pending bar or only one suspended bar and want to know what happened to the other webrings you belong to, this is probably the reason. I have two articles that might help you with this.

Why Does Only One Navbar Show on My Page?:  This article explains the Single Navbar option (introduced on 23.Jul.2002). This option causes only one navbar to display on a page. This article describes how it works and gives specific instructions on how to use it. It also links to my article on how to display the entire stack. ««»»

How to Show All the Navbars: This article points to the WebRing.com explanation of how to show all the navbars in a navbar stack. It also provides examples of how to use the WebRing.com instructions and offers additional help if needed. ««»»

Summary

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

However, you should expect to see the "pending" navbar if the stack is in place.

And, if you have suspended a site (and if that site has the JavaScript in place) you will see the "suspended" bar marking that membership.

Related Pages

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. ««»»

How to Deal With "Unauthorized Access" and "Ring Does Not Exist" Error Messages:  Sometimes when you attempt to access one of your memberships, you receive an error message that says "Unauthorized Access" or "Ring Does Not Exist". This article explains how to deal with these error messages. ««»»

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:
19:49, Tue, 19.Aug.2008