Curation vs. Computation
The Webring was the first "social graph" of the independent web. Unlike modern search engines or social media feeds that prioritize popular or profitable content, the Webring was egalitarian. To join, a site simply had to be relevant and be approved by the ring-master (a human steward). It was discovery through community, not computation.
The Circular Commons
Architecturally, the Webring reinforced the idea of a circular commons. Because it was a ring, there was no beginning or end—every site had a place in the line. For the archaeobytologist, the Webring widget is a vital Conceptual Archaeobyte; it represents a time when we found content by trusting the judgment of our peers rather than the "relevance" of a centralized black box.
Field Notes
The collapse of WebRing.org and similar services left thousands of "orphaned" widgets across the web—dead links that once connected thriving communities. These are the "broken segments" of a lost infrastructure.