The issue with using RingSurf, webring and similar services is the baggage you get along with the systems. Advertising, slow response times, huge hubs which link to undesirable sites, fair to poor to non-existent technical support (and having to put up with evaluations when you do get it), lack of control in certain areas, etc. All of that is baggage.
Ringlink (and some of the other scripted system available) does not have this baggage.
Many systems have baggage. Search engines like Google show advertisements on the results page. This is the cost (or baggage) that goes along with using them.
FFA lists require that you agree to receive silly spam emails for submissions. This is baggage.
Baggage is defined as something that is for the benefit of the provider, not the user.
I've found the best way to eliminate the "baggage" is to (a) pay for the service, or (b) find good, quality programs and systems from honorable and ethical people who understand that money is not the basic motivation of life. Sometimes just doing things for the good of all is reward enough.
I'm getting very tired of the baggage, as you might guess from some of my recent emails. This comes from *surprise* finding that sites I had innocently linked to changed hands and became pornographic in nature. This comes from the massive ad presence on webring (even though I am a supporting, read paying, member). Popups, popunders. email that is fast becoming useless due to spam.
I know the bills have to be paid, and I do display some ads myself (enough to pay my hosting bill) but I keep it sane.
I think many ringmaster (and members) do not realize how much baggage they get. It's the same for spy ware. People do not understand what the cost of that cool, "free" utility to automatically fill in a form is. When they do finally grasp what they are "paying", they often get pissed. So annoyed, in fact, I've seen users format their hard drives just to be rid of the nasty things.
Now I don't mind a little ad here or there. I have the Google ads myself - it pays for my hosting. "free" online has nothing to do with baggage. That's a concept that the marketers and advertisers (bless their little evil hearts) have hoisted off on us, and we've bought it.
At one end of the spectrum, you have Ringlink (truly free), created, I believe, out of a sense of responsibility, ethics and honor. At the other end of the rainbow, you have Bravenet rings, created simply to give people one more reason to use their services so they can make money.
Now, I don't mind PAYING for a product. That's a pure exchange. In fact, I'd much rather pay $39 for Opera rather than get the baggage of their banner ads (for example) at "no cost". I'm rather happy that they give me the choice. Webring, in fact, gives me the same choice and I paid the trivial amount of money to get rid of the banners.
When I started looking, I mean really looking, at the hidden costs associated with "free" services such as webring and RingSurf, well, I was astounded. And that's made me think (always a dangerous thing), and make some decisions.
The results:
A side note on link exchanges. I have come to agree with an article that I read by my good friend James. He explained why he does not do link exchanges. It made me think - and now I link to resources that I feel comfortable referring people to. I do not expect nor ask for a link in return. If they like my stuff, they can link to it. Thus, thanks to the insightful article by James, I have changed my strategies in that area.
My strategy now is simple. My sites are informational, and I make a few bucks from a leader board ad on each page. I provide good information to my visitors. If they have a web site and they like it, they can link to my site.
I just write good, useful content. Search engines and visitors find it and do with it what they will. It seems to work, I get 250,000 visitors a month.
Unless otherwise noted, all photos and text is Copyright © Richard G Lowe, Jr.