I have created the HSQB Webring for a very specific group, High School Quiz Bowl Teams. This is a group that I feel is underrepresented on the web in proportion to other Quiz Bowl pages relating to topics such as:
Unfortunately for the authors of the multitude of sites of these types, these types of sites will not be admitted into the ring upon their application for approval.
This is not because I believe these sites are lacking in value-quite the contrary. In the site I have authored and struggle mightily to maintain, The Milan High School Quiz Bowl website, I have placed links to many quality sites that I believe are very worthy. However, because I wish to keep the focus of the ring narrow, these sites will not be granted access to the ring.
However, the ring will serve a different kind of purpose for these other types of sites, particularly those with commercial interests.
Hopefully, the ring will prosper and grow in size. I see it becoming the quintessential collection of High School Quiz Bowl websites in the near future. As it becomes more comprehensive, the ring can serve as a pure list of contacts for commercial interests such as Tournament Directors, Question Distributers and Buzzer Manufacturers.
At the same time, it promotes at least a mild quality safeguard. I have told webmasters for various commercial enterprises to encourage individual HS coaches to endorse their service by placing a link on their site. If a link is on a particular website, I tend to believe that organization has earned that webmaster's full endorsement.
That also shifts quality control responsibility to the individual webmasters of the ring sites. If you think a company's questions are horribly substandard based on their sample packet, do not place a link to that company on your website. The same applies to a tournament, buzzer equipment, and so on.
On a selfish note, this also frees me from the burden of checking for dead links. I am happy to do this for the HSQB sites, but I couldn't handle checking every link for every quiz bowl related site-there are just too many.
I hope this doesn't ruffle too many feathers. I also believe that a general Quiz Bowl Webring is right around the corner for us all. All we lack is an insanely dedicated individual! :)