Choral Public Domain Library

Many of these very nice editions seem to have broken links: http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Cate ... n_editions
Has anyone investigated yet?

The Ubi Sunt choir changed their website address a couple of times, making it difficult to keep track of them. Their last web address was http://www.ubisunt.org, now broken. But I was able to retrieve most of their scores using the Wayback Machine. Will be uploading them to CPDL in the following days.

This is yet one more reason for CPDL to encourage strongly (if not to require) that PDF scores of works be retained here, on site, at CPDL and these links provided on score pages. The increasingly frequent occurrence of broken links to externally hosted scores and the difficulty - or unfortunate impossibility - of tracking them down and restoring these links is extremely time confusing and frustrating.

CHGiffen wrote:This is yet one more reason for CPDL to encourage strongly (if not to require) that PDF scores of works be retained here, on site, at CPDL and these links provided on score pages

The so-called "automatic add work procedure" can potentially enforce a "no externally hosted scores" policy for new submissions. Whenever a link is specified, which does not relates to an existing score hosted locally, the procedure can detect this situation and abort showing an appropriate error message.

Doing the same with the traditional add work procedure would be very complicated instead. So, if we intend to enforce the "no externally hosted scores" policy, I think we should also remove the traditional add work procedure, so that only the automated procedure, including the appropriate controls, remains available to users.

Max

What about revising the automated add form to enforce "no externally hosted scores" but having it include a note to contact addscore@cpdl.org if you wish to discuss special circumstances:

a) regarding an externally hosted score; or
b) that need the old manual add form (which we can not link in any menu, but can provide the direct link to anyone upon request with the proviso in e-mail and in the manual add form that externally-hosted scores need to be discussed with addscore@cpdl.org in advance)

???

This will start giving us a sense of how often externally hosted scores are a sticking point or merely something people take us up on because it is presented as an easily available choice.

This is a good way to proceed, Simona. I'm all for it, and it beats just sitting back and waiting or hoping that more contributors will submit the PDF scores directly rather than externally.

We should collect a list of what needs to be updated.

1. The automated form itself:
http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Add_work

2. The un-automated form

3. http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Help ... sion_guide
(also, we should change the pointer at the end of that page to use these forums instead of the dead-since-2008-or-so Wiki support page it references).

4. http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Help ... re_process

What else?

The automated form can be updated by any administrator. This is a specific feature of the 3rd generation form. The content of the form can be edited at MediaWiki:Addworkform-form.

To only allow the uploading of locally hosted files one can set as "readonly" the four input boxes to specify filenames (score, sound, mp3, and source). By doing so, the only way to enter filenames in the boxes will be to upload the files. Typing URLs will not be accepted. The input boxes can be set as readonly by adding a "readonly" attribute to their html code:
All instructions present on the form can be also updated by editing the same wiki page. We have to introduce these modifications (readonly input boxes and instructions) altogether to ensure consistency between the behavior of the form and instructions.

Max

I've tried searching for their partituras myself using both the directors name (Don Jose Miguel Galan) and some of the choirs he is associated with - Ubi Sunt, Augvsta Emerita - but without success. If it helps, I downloaded the old Ubi Sunt website back in 2004. Many changes will obviously have been made since then. The files are in both Finale and PDF format and total about 25Mb. Assuming it is ethical, I'm more than happy to upload them to whatever server someone in CPDL can take it from there. Presumably best to zip them up first but happy to follow instructions.

Thank you for your kind offer, John! Let us see what the other admins think of this; if they also agree, we'll write you back with suggestions for the file transfer.

This will start giving us a sense of how often externally hosted scores are a sticking point or merely something people take us up on because it is presented as an easily available choice.

This thread is already a month old, so it may be that the train is already gone. Nevertheless, here are my two cents. I very much prefer to host the socres of my own compositions on my website for a number of reasons:

1. This makes sure that always the latest version is downloaded.
2. On the special website for a number of pieces, I provide additional material like audio files, links to video performances, or written out (non CC-SA) accompaniments. As almost all people only look for the quickest download, they will never get aware of this additional material when the score is hosted on CPDL.
3. On my website, I also have a menu item "Feedback welcome" to show that I enjoy receiving feedback. When the scores are hosted on CPDL, I will never get feedback. I understand, that we are expected to search treasures in heaven only, but a simple "thank you" on earth can be motivating nevertheless
4. there is also instrumental music and other music not suitable for CPDL on my website.
5. Note that I post from Germany, and there copies of web publications (PDF) are required by law to be sent to the national library. This means that the scores will never get lost, even when my own site goes offline (e.g. after my death).

I understand that points 2-4 are irrelevant from CPDL's point of view, but for me these are of some importance.

Chris

Thanks for sharing your perspective.

Aside from the option for contributors of editions to contact us about requesting exceptions to local hosting, which is what we're proposing at this point, to what extent would it help if CPDL added some icon next to the scores themselves to indicate (with an out-link) either or both of these, which contributors could select to include?

1. Please see additional resources and other information related to this score.
2. The contributor welcomes feedback about this edition.

Other than link# (which encourages but does not ensure that the version control problem is solved), I can't think of a way to further minimize the version control issue. It remains something that would be somewhat of an issue (but, IMO, an older version of some scores if the contributor forgot to update CPDL about the new version is less of an issue than big parts of CPDL contributions disappearing, such as if a contributor dies, when the contributor would otherwise have been willing to have them hosted locally on CPDL if the choices encouraged that more strongly).

I'm very interested in further feedback.

Vaarky articulates our concerns at CPDL very well.