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[Mgs] Looking to SAVE some MG web sites and tech info

To: mgs@autox.team.net
Subject: [Mgs] Looking to SAVE some MG web sites and tech info
From: Barney Gaylord <barneymg@mgaguru.com>
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:17:13 -0600
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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