I think this is important, so some of you may get more than one copy
from different servers.
First the problem(s). -- AOL has shut down AOL Hometown, effective
October 31. Done with only 30 days notice, lots of people didn't get
the message, and several nice MG web sites have been lost. MSN is
going to do something similar in February (fortunately with a little
more advance notice). Some other servers occasionally vanish or
change names with little or no notice. Some registered domain names
may occasionally be allowed to expire, resulting in lost web
sites. Free photo posting sites often purge photo accounts after a
year or so, causing loss of more good MG tech information.
How I know. -- I notice this stuff because I manage the MG Site Ring
on the UK server www.mgcars.org.uk/webring which has just lost
several member web sites due to the AOL fiasco. My web site
www.MGAguru.com has numerous off site links for tech information on
other sites. If/when such sites may cease to function, my links are
broken, and the tech information is inaccessible. I maintain a list
of every known MGA specific web site in my Links section. I also
maintain a list of every known MG and all British car club in North
America on our local club web site www.ChicagolandMGclub.com. I
review all of this periodically to maintain the links lists, so I am
quick to notice when things may be lost.
So here's the plea. -- If you have some useful MG information on
line, be sure you keep a copy on your local computer, just in
case. If you have it posted on a volatile server, like a free photo
site (or any free server for that matter), consider posting the stuff
somewhere more stable. If your web address is piggybacked on another
domain, like www.geocities.com/myMGA, or
www.home.earthlink.net/~myacount, or www.myMGA.citymax.com, then
consider registering a domain name so you can keep your web address
if/when the hosting server might fail or change name (or if you just
want to change servers). In general, keep in mind some plan to
preserve your valuable information.
And here's an offer. -- I will also stick my neck out to make an
offer. While I am not a hosting service, I will often accept MG tech
articles or pages from others to post on my web site. On rare
occasion I may post part or all of someone's small web site in the
Guest section of my site (if it is mostly static information). If
you know that some of your MG tech information is destined to
disappear from the internet (or already has), and you have no place
else to post it, please contact me so I may do whatever I can to help
preserve it.
What's already gone. -- One of the more significant losses recently
is the Fiberglass Hardtop Restoration by Ian Pearl in Ireland. This
was originally posted at http://idpearl.myphotoalbum.com but was
automatically purged some time ago. I have not been able to contact
Ian for more than a year, so this might never be recovered.
Bottom line is, protect it or lose it. Keep it in mind, pass the
word, ask questions, offer advice. What say you all?
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