I have to say that I had some stability problems with the Windows Digital Tradition when I ran it on Windows 98 2nd Edition. I got a new computer with Windows XP, and I've had no problems since.

I'm sorry if Digital Tradition programmer Mark Heiman hasn't responded to e-mail. Maybe we shouldn't have given his e-mail address, since he's busy with other things and not involved in the day-to-day operation of Mudcat and the DT. When people have reported problems, many of us have tried to help. This sound thing is one problem we haven't been able to solve for all people on all computers. We haven't been able to get the online MIDIs to play for everybody, either.

While we haven't solved these problems completely, we have offered a number of alternative methods for people to obtain the tunes:

• You can download the MIDI files you want from Mudcat, and play them on music software.
  
• You can get our 1999 Digital Tradition tunes in a number of formats at Yet Another Digital Tradition.
  
• You can Download the DOS Edition, which is the tried-and-true, fundamental edition of the Digital Tradition.

So, the official answer is that we are aware of the problem and we're working on it.
That's about all Mark Heiman could say about it at this point.

Same with those of you who complain that the DT does not give attribution to songwriters and sources. When the Digital Tradition started in 1988, Dick and Susan had no idea what it would become. At the time, there seemed to be no need for source and songwriter attribution, so the database started with hundreds or even thousands of unattributed songs. We have a DT Songwriter Attribution PermaThread at Mudcat, and we invite everyone to submit attribution corrections there. Susan of DT is working through the list, and many of the corrections will appear in the next edition of the Digital Tradition. More extensive corrections should be posted in the Forum, preferably in existing threads on the song in question [Put CORRECTION and the song title in the title of the message (not thread) where the correction appears].

Songs are now being harvested from the Forum on a new system. For now, Jeff and I are the only ones who can see the harvesting tags for this new system - but please be assured that we're harvesting songs at a pretty fast rate. Still, it takes a long time from harvest to edit to inclusion in the Digital Tradition. Also, note that although we may post 33 versions of "Flying Purple People Eater" in the Forum, Dick and Susan will not accept all songs, or all versions of all songs, for inclusion in the Digital Tradition.

Remember that Mudcat and the Digital Tradition are volunteer efforts, and our volunteers are people who live rather full lives doing all sorts of things other than Mudcat and DT. Try to be nice to them.

-Joe Offer-