The Quotation Ring will move!

[Gunnar Hjalmarsson <quotation-ring@gunnar.cc>]

Dear Quotation Ring members,
(Sorry for this rather long message, but I ask you to read it to the
end.)
As you might have noticed, the Quotation Ring has been very static for a
few months. The ring has been working, but no new members have been
added since the beginning of September.
Up to now, our ring has been hosted by a ring service called WebRing.
WebRing was acquired by Yahoo!, and in September Yahoo! simply destroyed
the old ring system and replaced it with an inferior one. The primary
aim with the Yahoo! ring system is very obvious: They want to make use
of the big WebRing database of rings and ringmembers, and entice us and
our visitors to sign up for Yahoo! IDs and start using all the services
in the "Yahoo! heaven". But that's not the reason why we participate
with our sites in the Quotation Ring, is it?
Consequently, the Quotation Ring will move to another ring host, like
many other former WebRing rings have done already. Actually I intend to
host the Quotation Ring at my own site, using a ring program that I
wrote myself. Those of you who are interested to know more about it,
please visit the Ringlink Homepage at http://www.gunnar.cc/ringlink/
When the move starts, all of you will have to submit your site info to
the new ring system, and replace the HTML code at your sites. For that
reason, this is a good opportunity to reconsider the design of the
Quotation Ring image. A few of you have let me know that you are not
exactly delighted at the present design, so this is your chance to
exercise influence on the new image: Let's have a contest. ;-)
I have edited the old image slightly in order to let you know my idea of
what the new image might look like; please see
http://www.gunnar.cc/webring/quotes/newimage.html
These are a few guidelines for those of you who want to suggest a new
image:
- The new image should be somewhat smaller than the present one.
- Keep the filesize small.
- It will be used together with an image map with four links:
  "Next", "Random", "List all" and the ring homepage. (The present
  "Next 5" link will be redundant in the new ring system.)
- Personally I like the idea with offering the possibility to
  change the colors to a limited extent while keeping the overall
  design. (See http://www.gunnar.cc/webring/qr-alt.img/index.html)
  But maybe it would be enough to offer only two alternatives:
  One for light and one for dark backgrounds. Let's see which
  suggestions you come up with.
Please let me know about your suggestions for a new image before the
turn of the year.
I guess that a few of you might have comments and questions regarding
the above, and I ask you to post them to the Quotation Ring mailing
list. If you are not currently subscribed, please go to
http://www.gunnar.cc/webring/quotes/mailinglist.html and follow the
instructions.
But if you want to suggest a new image, please _do not_ attach it in a
message to the mailing list. You can either make it available on your
own web site, or attach it in a message to me
(quotation-ring@gunnar.cc). I will display all contributions at
http://www.gunnar.cc/webring/quotes/newimage.html
I hope you feel that these changes are in the interests of all of us.
Let's take this opportunity to make the Quotation Ring even better.
Best regards and Merry Christmas,
Gunnar
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Quotation Ring (http://www.gunnar.cc/webring/quotes.html)
Ringmaster: Gunnar Hjalmarsson (quotation-ring@gunnar.cc)