FAQ

what is a webring?

a webring is a collection of web sites linked by a common thread. each site contains a piece of HTML called a fragment which allows a visitor to that site to link from one site in the ring to the next, eventually completing a circle. but a visitor may also jump to a random site, the previous site, or view a list of ring sites with page descriptions.

why set up a webring?

when you search for a topic in a search engine, especially a broad topic, you can get pages and pages of obscure or outdated information. what a webring offers is a quality selection of sites. hopefully a webring strives to include the best of the best, helping a fan find exactly what they're looking for.

who is responsible for the webring?

a webring is administrated and run by a ring manager (in this case by 2 ring managers). the jobs of the ring managers include designing the ring homepage, soliciting sites to join the ring, adding/removing sites, check sites in the ring regularly for content and proper display of the HTML fragment, and handling questions and suggestions from webring members and visitors. any sudden problems and/or difficulties are also handled by the ring manager. basically, the job of the ring manager is to be an active participant in the webring and easily accessible. the ring managers for sites of grandeur are sarah halfpenny and michael twaits. the only thing the ring manager does not handle is the CGI scripts used by the ring. those are automatically generated and configured by webring. this site maintains a database of sites in sites of grandeur, and handles them accordingly.

how can i join the webring?

you can join sites of grandeur by submitting your site to the queue. webrings are divided into two sections, the ring, and the queue. ring sites are actually part of the webring. queue sites are those that have applied to join the ring, but have not yet been assessed. by submitting your site for the ring, you will be put in the queue. once you are in the queue you will soon be notified whether you've been accepted or not. submit yourself to the queue on the sign up page, and wait patiently for an email notification of your acceptance/rejection.

what sort of site can join the webring?

web sites are accepted to the webring based on a joint vote by several webring members or by the ring manager. there are four main areas of criteria by which a site is measured. all sites should - if not excel - at least pass, each criteria:
content - primarily relevant to fleming and john.
originality - the site is not heavily copied from other fleming and john sites. the design should also be unique, and relatively user-friendly. quality - the information found is either entirely unique, important enough to appear on several sites, or presented in an interesting manner. numerous spelling errors, rampant and/or unnecessary profanity, dead links, browser-incompatibilty, broken images, etc. may hinder acceptance.
maintenance - the site is updated and maintained at least occasionally. for example, if news is featured, there is effort to keep it updated with current events.

how do i apply?

submitting your site is easy. you fill out a simple form located on the sign up page.you need to include the URL of your website, your name and your email address. you may also include a description and search keywords for your site. all of this information is confidential and will not be distrubuted. once your site is submitted, you will recieve a site ID and a password, and the ring manager will email you with the next steps.

what do i need to do once i have applied?

wait. your site will be painlessly reviewed, and you will be notified as soon as a decision has been made as to acceptance/rejection. if your site has not been moved from the queue to the ring within 14 days, you will be automatically removed from the queue and will have to resubmit an application.

can i add myself or others to the ring?

no. the inclusion of sites into the webring is left up to the ring manager based on his and other ring members' thoughts about the queued site.

what do I do once i'm a ring member?

not much needs to be done within the sites of grandeur homepage once you are a member of the ring. Besides occasionally changing the info on your SIP, your only concern should be the quality of your website.

maintaining your HTML

it is your job to ensure that the HTML fragment on your site stays intact. as well, however rarely, changes may be made to the HTML fragment. if changes are required, the ring manager will inform you, and you should log on to your SIP and cut and paste the whole of the new HTML fragment onto your site.

what if i close/change URL of my site?

some page alterations may require you to take your site offline for an extended period of time. domain-moves are common as sites upgrade, and on the other side of the coin, sometimes sites close. if your site is taken offline temporarily to move domains or to make major changes, please email the ring manager immediately with an estimated "downtime." if the ring manager decides your downtime is substantial, you will be asked to log on to your SIP and remove yourself to the queue. this way, when your page is fully available again, you can simply ask the ring manager to place you back in the ring, without having to resubmit your details. if your site closes down, you should log onto your SIP and remove yourself completely. the ring manager will be notified of your departure.

can ring sites be removed?

sure. this can be done two different ways.
by the ring manager? though very rarely, sometimes a site will no longer meet the criteria that the webring has established. the ring manager might notice this himself, or through the insight of another ring member. if a site is noticed, the ring manager will ask several random ring members to visit the site and determine if it has fallen below standards. if the members are in agreement, the ring member will be immediately informed that his/her site has been noted to no longer meet baseline criteria, and suggestions for changes will be made. he/she should reply with an explanation and a course of action. if the time involved to make the changes is significant, the same procedure as for a URL-change will be followed. if within 14 days no plan is outlined, and/or the changes aren't made, the site will be removed from sites of grandeur and must be re-submitted to the queue. (don't worry, because this will rarely, rarely happen. but it'd be unfair not to say that it never would.)
by ring member? a member may chose to remove his/her site from the ring for various reasons. this is perfectly understandable, and easily done through your SIP. if you choose to close down or remove your site from sites of grandeur, you should immediately log on to your SIP and remove yourself completely from the ring, or email either of the ring managers and they will remove your site for you.