Webrings - well past their sell-by date?

[Miss Prism]

Back in the day of internet innocence, webrings were seen as cool. As time passed, Uncle Google got underway, ring webmasters got bored or bit the dust, and nowadays, they seem to be run by autobots, and surviving only on 3rd party ads.

 

On recent checking around the one I'm familiar with, the awful GWR webring (its original owner long sold out to its parent, desperately trying to get on board the 'social media sharing community bus', i.e. getting a few cents from ad agencies), indicates:

 

- clicking on a url for sites with the Webring code on their front page can redirect immediately to Webring itself (there is an example in RMweb's list of external-linked blogs, although I've most noticed it elsewhere);

 

- on the Webring site itself, content is frame-trapped by Webring code, and difficult to get to properly without being frame-trapped.

 

The above pernicious hijacking behaviour does seem to depend on one's browser, and isn't always reproducible, possibly because of ancient or incompetent scripting at Webring being thwarted by browser pop-up blocking or cookie-blocking.

 

I would advise anyone not to open an account with or join Webring, and to remove any code that refers to Webring - their operation seems to be no more than targetted adserving and the reselling of personal information.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

I construed that as likely to be one of these home delivery shopping services , like Ocado...