We could make a renewed effort to pin down copyrights. This approach could involve adding songs back into the Web collection as their public status or permission is verified. This would require an appropriate database and lots of volunteers. State funds, folk-music societies, schools and other organizations could help greatly, if they wished. After all, we're not really talking about a great deal of cash.
Advertisements represent another possibility for raising money.
If anyone has a web site to donate to us, the whole money issue becomes moot. If there are any folk-oriented lawyers out there who could help us out on a Pro Bono basis, please speak up. Or any Internet specialists who can come up with better ideas. The Digital Tradition on the Web is, after all, a communal effort. Whether it, like the Mary Ellen Carter, will rise again is pretty much up to you.