1. In a cyclic linear block code error correcting decoder having at least four blocks, said blocks including a syndrome generating block, an error polynomial block, an error location block, and an error magnitude block, a method for performing data error correction of a codeword, said method comprising the acts of: calculating a syndrome from said codeword in said syndrome generating block; generating an error polynomial from said syndrome in said error polynomial block; determining an error location from said error polynomial in said error location block; and calculating an error magnitude from said error polynomial in said error magnitude block, said method characterized in that at least one of said at least four blocks is adapted to transmit an inactivity message to other ones of said at least four blocks.