A Webring is a way to group sites with a similar interest together in a "ring". Links on each page registered in the ring allow you to move from one site to the next, allowing one to (eventually) traverse the entire ring and end up where they started. This is actually something you can do without the Webring system by simply having each page owner link their site to the next. However, when somebody wants to join the ring, someone has to edit their page to point to the new page and--when the ring gets big enough--it becomes more and more difficult to keep the ring "intact" when pages disappear and servers go down. Webring.org offers a free webring service and provides a solution to all of these problems, as well as numerous enhancements. When you join a Webring, the HTML code on your homepage never changes. Links point to a special CGI script at webring.org that will send people to the next (or previous) site in the ring. Because the central ring database is located in one location, sites can be added and removed quickly and easily, and because the Webring CGI allows you go continue past sites that are unreachable, you will always be able to continue around the loop. The Webring will do quite a few tricks, actually. People can travel a ring in either direction, either jumping to (or skipping) the next site or previous site, list the next five sites in the ring, jump to a random site in the ring, or simply get a list of all pages in the loop. Furthermore, the Webring system supports the operation of a virtually unlimited number of separate and distinct rings, allowing the creation of thousands of different "communities" on the web. And, best of all, the Webring is entirely free! What Webring's are available? The best way to find a Webring that will interest you is to visit RingWorld, their online diretory of the Webring system. Chances are you'll find one that will interest you--either to surf or to join. Ring topics range from Star Wars to Genealogy to Spanish Family Web Pages. All of the Webrings are operated by individuals across the Internet. If you can't find a ring that suits your needs, you're free to start your own as well! What is a Ringmaster? The ringmaster or ringmistress (as some prefer to be called) is the person in charge of a particular ring. They are (typically) the ones who create the ring, create the homepage containing information about the ring, and perform various management tasks associated with keeping the ring running smoothly. These include: * answering questions about the ring * adding sites to the ring   (some rings allow current sites in the ring to do this as well) * removing old or inactive sites from the ring