FTM, first you need to upload the song (or audio clip) to the host server. This is the same site that holds your memorial website. The song can be in wav, mp3, or midi format. The file should be as small as possible. An average mp3 song is around 4 MB which would take a longgggggggggg time to load with a dialup connection. Most websites that have sound use very small wav files or MIDI files. MIDI files are computer generated music and are very small comparing to those other formats.

Anyways, you have to add an HTML code to your webpage to tell it to load the song everytime the page is opened. Here's how it's done.... for this example, I'm going to use these symbols [] instead of so it would show up with this text. Anywhere you see '[' you actually want to use '' instead.

All you need to add is this:
[BGSOUND SRC="xxxxxxxxxxxxx"]

Obviously everything after the equal '=' symbol where you see the "xxxxxxxxxxxxx" that is the address of where your sound file is located.

If you're like me, you might learn better by doing... if so here's an exercise you may want to try.... if you type a reply in this thread try adding the above command like we talked about... start by typing:

[BGSOUND SRC="

then immediately after the quotation mark without adding any spaces, try typing the address of the following sound file (just copy & paste):

http://www.geocities.com/gw_semper_fi/abbynormal.wav

Then immediately after the address finish your HTML command by typing the following two symbols:

"]

When you click "Preview Message" you should hear the audio and see the rest of the text you had typed. Once you click "Submit Message" the rest of us will be able to read your text and hear the audio. Again, don't forget to substitute '' for ']'.

HTH.

hmmm, could that by Igor? :)

thanks, semper. another question, i wouldn't be able to use a song from itunes, i take it? it is the wrong file type and it won't let me convert it.

ohhhhh, thank you semper! a great smile on my face!

FTM - iTunes can only be played on an iPod. Done that way to make themselves exlusive (and a PITA).

LOL - Young Frankenstein. What was the other one from the nurse - he had an enormous slotinsshockler (or something like that) ...... From the name that movie game of long ago.

Whenever I hear sounds I know who the culprit is. LOL

thanks, ct. you know, i wasn't sure how itunes does it. you can play them on your pc, burn them to a disk.

and did gene wilder reply, "that goes without saying?" i can't remember.

FTM - You can? You can download to your computer but only if you use the iTunes software to do it. I didn't think you could burn an iTunes file to a CD, but you said you did it?

FTM, even if you could get around the iTunes proprietary issues, the file would be too large. A 4 minute mp3 song in standard format embeded into your website would take almost 10 minutes to load for someone visiting your site with a dialup connection. Not many people would want to wait that long.

Try googling the song you are looking for in midi format. Use the song title and "midi" on your search. There are hundreds of websites that offer free midi files. They are very small comparing to mp3 files so they would only take a few seconds to load.

If you have a hard time finding what you're looking for, post or email me and I can find it for you. Alternately, if you have your heart set on an mp3 song, I can change the format and reduce its size considerably so it wouldn't take as long to load. Let me know.

hey, ct. you are right, it is with their software. and, yes, i have burned a cd with songs from itunes. of course, they say you can so they allow it somehow. i don't even pretend to understand.

semper, thank you for that extra large file information! i'll check into your suggestions, and thank you so much for you offer!

hey, ct. you are right, it is with their software. and, yes, i have burned a cd with songs from itunes. of course, they say you can so they allow it somehow. i don't even pretend to understand.

semper, thank you for that extra large file information! i'll check into your suggestions, and thank you so much for you offer!

well, a perfectionist and anal retentive, anyway. apparantly what i have in mind is not feasible. i did find midi files, but i am not happy with them. and, none of them have the lyrics. i suppose i could just display the lyrics on the page with credit given, but it just isn't the same.

sorry for my whining.

Whaaaaaaa! LOL Good to know we can burn the iTunes to a CD so we can take along in the car to play besides using just the iPod. Someone told me not to buy my son an iPod (he wanted the iPod video for Christmas so I did buy the one he asked for) but, this person said the trouble with iPod was it's songs were restricted to use on the iPod, and I took them for their word and didn't even try to burn a CD. But, since you said you can do it, I've got some buying and burning to do. I think once you buy a song you should be able to burn to at least any source one time since you bought the rights to one copy anway. Not restrict the places you store the darn music for crying out loud, but these software giants like to do that to make more do-rey-mi (and worse, force hardware upgrades).

Speaking of upgrades - don't install MS Vista - everything you use as pheriphierals won't work, especially in the drivers. It is a memory hog and too security bossy/chatty. I am not upgrading - I'll just keep my XP. Who in their right mind would want to 'upgrade' to something that screws up what works fine?? They are advertising it so hard with hype. Watch out.

CT

hmmmm, i hope i remember that suggestion! and for what it's worth, i dont' even have an ipod :)
i'll admit that buying song by song is expensive, but so is buying album after album for just one song. i'll be darned if i can find jailbreak by ac/dc, though. still, i have found more than i expected.

Here is a link that might be useful: work in progress

another question, mr. semper fi, oh master of the motherboard, oh comando of the cyberjungle.

do the midi files need to be on a website to link to, as above with igor and dr. frankenstien? or is there some other file upload process?

also, this site i linked to above does not seem to "support" html, but i am still experimenting. the website already has it set up and you just type stuff in.

FTM, I saw the link and I choked up. How sad. Somewhere today I read that Online Memorials are showing up everywhere,especially for the younger crowd. I think I like it. It's something to ponder.
CT, only a compulsive user buys the first version of any software or OS. It's one of those competitive things. I find it's best to let others find all the bugs. Even the best programs run into problems and must have numerous fixes because the first fix or improvement messes up something else. Maybe there are reasons to be the first to have anything but mostly it is one-up manship. I am curious but not enough to indulge in the headaches and hair pulling frustration new users get. Truthfully, I think they are drama queens. I'll pass for now, thank you. Sandy

thanks, sandy. this has had me very preoccupied. her mom has been my best friend for 16.5 years. i have known heather since she was three. there is a little more to it than that, but i don't want to draw attention to myself over it.

Sorry to hear about your best friend's and your personal loss FTM - what a lovely young lady. So young. CT

thank you, ct.

well, i found out from the site admins that the site doesn't support html. guess that settles it!

It's a beautiful tribute, nonetheless, FTM. I'm sure that Heather would appreciate it immensely.

Brenda

" i did find midi files, but i am not happy with them. and, none of them have the lyrics."

I always found midi files to be extra, extra cheesy but I figured that was just an XY chromosome thing. Good to know we are in agreement here!!!

Keep in mind that since partingwishes.com does not allow HTML or any other sort of creativity in designing a tribute page the way YOU want it, you can take your page elsewhere where they are more flexible with what you want done. There are MANY sites that offer free webpage hosting. Most offer easy, simple tools you can use to build your page.
Yahoo's Geocities is one of many. I use it and I like it a lot.

Another way would be to use Macromedia Flash to design and create your page and then publish it on the web. Flash does have a pretty steep learning curve, imo, but it is an awesome tool and has many uses. One of the MANY great things about Flash is that it can synchronize audio, pictures, video seamlessly into a relatively small file. Peewee's tribute, for example, was done in Flash.

If you decide to go that route, most schools offers courses in Flash.... or you can get your B.S. degree from the School of Hard Knocks and figure it out as you go along. Works for me!

thank you, brenda :)

hey, semper. i think you have to like the tinny electronic "music boxes" to like midi files. those things always grated my nerves, including the music greeting cards. i admit the new cards are a great improvement in quality.

thanks for the suggestions! i don't think i will redo the page since people are now contributing photos, etc. i would hate to confuse and frustrate everyone. i may take your suggestion, fumble through flash and publish to geocities, then post a link. first i need to get pics from her mom! i am holding off on that for awhile.

i just searched it. too steep for me unless i am quick with the trial offer. otherwise, i will try to find an alternative.