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Maljonic

Can't get enough of FH
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Dec 22, 2003
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I'd like to make my own mini webring for a group of sites and wondered if anyone had any good ideas of how to do this. Obviously I could put a previous and next button at the bottom of pages and just link them directly to different sites, but I was thinking there could be a away of using XML or something so the 'next' button just goes to the next site on the list, and vice versa.

I could use a script but I'd prefer it if the buttons were crawlable by search engines and not just linked to sitelist.js/sites.php or whatever, would using XML be better for that or just the same?

Any thoughts?
 

wyrd_fish

Fledgling Freddie
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Dec 27, 2003
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webrings are a bit '90s

you maybe better off with an affiliates section, or simmilar


(their also a bit synonomous with porn sites in my experience)
 

SheepCow

Bringer of Code
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Very mid-late 90's :)

Search engines will follow a link to site.php?xxx=xxx...

Otherwise you'll probably have to write a script and include the output directly, (e.g. a script that generates the HTML tags for the link and auto include that). but then you're trusting HTML from offsite to be put into your page. you could do some ajaxy fun but it's getting a bit ott surely?
 

Maljonic

Can't get enough of FH
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Well I'm not actually going to call it a webring, and there isn't going to be any way to join up or anything. I just wanted to put some code at the bottom of my sites so I can flick through from one to the next until you get back to the beginning again, instead of putting a link to all my sites at the bottom of the page. So if I make another site I can just add it to a list and it become part of the loop.

P.S. I have no experience with Ajax whatsoever, so I wouldn't even know how to begin with that. :)
 

wyrd_fish

Fledgling Freddie
Joined
Dec 27, 2003
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537
an AJAX web ring would rule

with a sort of slide show to select the site you want, by screens or logo, and then click it to go

hummm... time i did some reading
 

TheJkWhoSaysNi

One of Freddy's beloved
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Dec 23, 2003
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If you use ajax, search engine aren't going to be able to follow the links. The rating of the sites will go down. You'd be better doing it serverside.
 

Maljonic

Can't get enough of FH
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Sounds great, but a bit too complicated for me at the moment. Well I say that, it might not be if I had the time to learn all about AJAX.

I wonder if I could use some kind of 'includes' type scenario that chooses a link from a list?
 

Maljonic

Can't get enough of FH
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I hadn't seen your post TheJkWhoSaysNi when I added my last comment. I think you're right but I'm not sure how to do it. I guess it would be like the most basic link script imaginable, with my links in a database and just a back and forward button - or perhaps if could display a title for one link from the database that is picked at random each time the page is refreshed?
 

Shovel

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TheJkWhoSaysNi said:
If you use ajax, search engine aren't going to be able to follow the links. The rating of the sites will go down. You'd be better doing it serverside.

Only if you do it really, really badly. E.g. by using a JavaScript only solution.

Ajax is best used as progressive enhancement, whereby your regular, fully functional static HTML is made to dance only in browsers that support JS.

That way, search engines (and anyone with JS turned off) gets a perfectly functional page, and you attach the jazz to an onload event for browsers that support it.

Apologies for drifting a little off topic.
 

TheJkWhoSaysNi

One of Freddy's beloved
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Dec 23, 2003
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But if your base it off a static page you will be limited and you'll probably just end up using ajax to simulate iframes. (And removing functionality like back buttons and bookmarking... though I did get around these problems in firefox. Though that's another topic.)

If you're just using ajax as an alternative to iframes theres no point in using it...
 

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