Tech: Contemplator.com down (back up now)

Subject: Tech: Contemplator.com down
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Feb 17 - 03:35 AM

The site contemplator.com appears to be down, has been for days. Think it will be gone forever? Sorry for posting in technology, I cannot post in BS / Non-Music area.

I found the site very useful just to listen to old tunes, because elsewhere on the internet it is hard to even find what many old tunes even sound like.

Subject: RE: Tech: Contemplator.com down
From: GUEST,DaveRo
Date: 08 Feb 17 - 04:26 AM

It looks like the domain expired on 5th January. Maybe the registrant forgot to renew it. He or she lives, or lived, in Middletown MD.

Subject: RE: Tech: Contemplator.com down
From: Jack Campin
Date: 08 Feb 17 - 05:38 AM

I tried looking for it by IP (206.188.192.124). That didn't work either - the site as a whole has gone, not just the DNS address.

Subject: RE: Tech: Contemplator.com down
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Feb 17 - 08:13 AM

You can use the Internet Archive to see past pages from the site.


I randomly picked a date in 2016: http://web.archive.org/web/20160412053452/http://www.contemplator.com/

Subject: RE: Tech: Contemplator.com down
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Feb 17 - 04:14 PM

Well, whois.com says the domain name is registered to Lesley through 2021. I emailed Lesley to see what's going on, but I don't know if the address I have is current.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: Contemplator.com down
From: GUEST,Stim
Date: 08 Feb 17 - 09:23 PM

I called Network Solutions, who host the site, and, who, for privacy reasons, couldn't say much. When I explained that i'd been using the site for years, and other site users and I were concerned, the guy said it there was an anomaly of some sort that had to to be resolved. So Joe, if Lesley needs any help, maybe some of us here could do something.

Subject: RE: Tech: Contemplator.com down
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 08 Feb 17 - 11:20 PM

Yeah, the feds took it over, mid January of 2016 …

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Sweet, sweet, honey pots.

Subject: RE: Tech: Contemplator.com down
From: Helen
Date: 08 Feb 17 - 11:38 PM

I discovered Lesley's site many years ago. I visit it now and then if I want to find a particular tune. I especially like the Turlough O'Carolan pages and also she took on Barry Taylor's tunebook which is an excellent resource with some exceptionally beautiful midi arrangements of folk tunes.

If I can help in any way to sort this out, I will.

Thanks Lesley for a brilliant website.

Helen

Subject: RE: Tech: Contemplator.com down
From: leeneia
Date: 09 Feb 17 - 08:58 AM

Yes, if it's gone, I would miss the Contemplator.

Subject: RE: Tech: Contemplator.com down
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 05 Mar 17 - 10:54 PM

It would be very disappointing if the wonderful Contemplator site were to disappear. The Wayback Machine at the Internet Archive does give access to the home page on the above link (repeated here). Index links all appear to work.

http://web.archive.org/web/20160412053452/http://www.contemplator.com/

However the marvellous (mostly!) midi arrangements which accompanied each page seem to be unavailable.

I hope all is well with Lesley Nelson-Burns, the site's creator. Any news, Joe?

Ross

Subject: RE: Tech: Contemplator.com down
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Mar 17 - 11:17 PM

Sometime Mudcatter Lesley Nelson-Burns ran the contemplator.com Website, with lots of good MIDI arrangements of songs and the remarkable arrangements by Barry Taylor. Contemplator is down, but (as Ross says) it is stored at archive.org. http://web.archive.org/web/20160303170720/http://www.contemplator.com/

I emailed Lesley to see what's happening with the Website, but haven't heard back. Lesley, if you see this, please contact me at [e-mail].

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: Contemplator.com down
From: Helen
Date: 25 Mar 17 - 07:24 PM

Hi all,

I went to Lesley's site and some of the tunebook is still able to be used or downloaded as a zip file, but Barry Taylor's Canadian tunebook link is not working.

I just found a page where there are links to all the individual Canadian midi files but not the zip file. If you are interested in any of the Canadian tunes you can go here:

http://www.naturallist.com/indx.htm

Helen

Subject: RE: Tech: Contemplator.com down
From: Helen
Date: 25 Mar 17 - 07:25 PM

Oops. Forgot to use the blickifier:

Barry Taylor's Tunebook - Canadian midi files

Subject: RE: Tech: Contemplator.com down
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 25 Mar 17 - 08:47 PM

Mystery to me. It's up for firefox & chrome on W7 & 10. (????)

http://www.contemplator.com/

Subject: RE: Tech: Contemplator.com down
From: Stanron
Date: 25 Mar 17 - 10:10 PM

It all seems to be working with Firefox on Linux Mint. Nice site.

Subject: RE: Tech: Contemplator.com down
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Mar 17 - 01:05 AM

Yup. Seems to be working normally now, but it was dead as a doornail early in March. Maybe Lesley was on vacation and the domain expired.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: Contemplator.com down
From: Helen
Date: 26 Mar 17 - 01:11 AM

It's a wonderful site. I can't say for sure when I first found it but it must be around 20 years ago, give or take.


I'm using Firefox.

When I go to the dropdown box from here:

Barry Taylor's Tunebook

and hit the link for the Canadian Tunebook it takes me to a page which says that the "Members Webspace has been retired" but I can get the other tunebooks to load.

I just used tne link to the "No Java" Main Page and this is the message which came up, and this may explain why the Contemplator site is not always available.

"The page you are looking for is not available.

    "You are most likely getting this page because I changed the name of a midi file.

    "When webmasters create background music for their site they must not link to the midis here. They must copy the midi file to THEIR server.

    "I pay for a limited number of "hits" to my site and each time someone runs a midi file from here as background music on their page - it counts against MY bandwidth. At least three times a week my site shuts down because it has hit the traffic limit - at times there have been over 800 hits PER DAY from sites who are doing this.

    "The problem is getting worse. I now rename all of the midi file directories periodically. I am spending more time changing the names of midi files than updating the pages. If this continues I will shut down to revamp the site to make this maintenance easier.

"You may also be getting this page because: You may have mistyped a URL"

Helen