How to Join the Ring

If you feel intimidated by all this, please don't worry. I know what it feels like. As long as you want to join, and your website fits the criteria, I'm going to see to it that you end up in the ring. It may take a little longer than others, but patience is something we all know about. We'll both learn something from any help I give you, and we will both be more than we were when we started. We'll take it one step at a time, and we will succeed.

You've already managed to create at least one working web page, put some graphics in it, and upload it to someplace where everyone can see it.

If you haven't already done the above, stop now, and come back when you actually have a web page. If you have, then you've got the wherewithal to paste some new code into your page.

Here's how it works:

Simple, easy, down-and-dirty method:

You fill out the submission form and submit it.
Your site is now in the queue. That's the waiting room. (I'll know you're there, but can't let you in until steps 3 thru 8 are completed.)
You wait a few minutes, then check your email.
If you didn't typo your email address, you receive an automated email message. In the email, along with some instructions, is some code.
You paste that code into your page, as is. It's already configured for your website.
You email me to let me know you pasted the code.
I go look at it. If there's a problem, I help you fix it.
I move you from the queue to the ring.
You are now in the ring and there's nothing else to worry about.

If you have trouble figuring out what to copy and paste from that email message into your page, or if you have any problems at all, please let me know. Some things are hard for me to see. With your input, I can make things easier for others, and I can't help you if you don't give me a holler. Tell me what the problem is. I'll get you taken care of, and update the message so the next person will have an easier time.

Now. Maybe you don't like the way that code looks in your page. You want some graphics, you want to rearrange it a little, whatever. That's just fine with me. In fact there's a standing invitation to graphics artists and graphic artist wannabe's: make your own logo. Anything you want. If others in the ring like it, maybe they'll use it.

Just check all the links after you make any changes. If they all work, no problem. If not, drop me a line and we'll work through it. It's not like the world is going to stop if your code breaks. I maintain the ring, broken code happens, I find a way to fix it. No big deal.

If you want to change the code and you're afraid that you'll break it, drop me a line telling me what you want to do. Chances are that I already know from personal experience what will work and what won't. But like I said - go ahead and fool around with it. So the code is broken for a little while. Who cares? Nobody's going to freak out, this ain't mission-critical work we're doing here. It's a learning and social enterprise.

Okay. Still want to join? Here's the submission form.