How do you keep a ride cymbal from ringing too long?

I am still an amateur at drumset, and I have no idea what to do to keep my cymbal from ringing too long.

You can maintain some control over the sustain by how hard and where you play the cymbal Play closer to the bell to produce a longer "ring". Play closer to the edge (on the bow), it will ring less but sound washier.

What might be better, however, is Moon Gel. Moon Gel is a tacky squishy like substance that you can place on the cymbal (or drum head) to control sustain. It goes on easy and stays on because it's tacky. It also comes off without leaving any residue and won't harm your cymbals or drum heads and lasts a pretty long time.

You can also "regulate" the sustain by using more the one on the ride. I find that placing one on the bell and one of the bow greatly reduces the sustain without diminishing the attack too much.

It comes in 4-packs in small plastic canisters and costs about $6 or 7.

You can get it musiciansfriend.com, Guitar Center, and probably most drum shops.