|
Background to the official Find Madeleine site
On the web— Press reports claimed 90 million people visited the findmadeleine.com website last week; this is not true
— "Hits" refer to any file, or piece of data, requested by a site from a web server. When you visit a website, your
computer has to call up numerous files just to display the homepage fully
— Alexa.com, which monitors internet traffic, said that 0.067% of users worldwide visited the site Saturday; 46%
were from Britain, 16% from Portugal
— It was ranked the 2,649th most visited site in Britain and the 1,779th in Portugal
Source: Times database
Timesonline 21 May 2007
|
FindMadeleine.com domain name registered to 10
May 2011
|
Registration details of findmadeleine.com:
WhoIs
Domain Name: findmadeleine.com
Status: clientDeleteProhibited, clientRenewProhibited, clientTransferProhibited, clientUpdateProhibited
Expiration Date: 2008-05-10
Creation Date: 2007-05-10
Last Update
Date: 2007-05-15
*
Updated 17 March 2007:
Domain Name: findmadeleine.com
Status: clientDeleteProhibited, clientRenewProhibited, clientTransferProhibited, clientUpdateProhibited
Expiration Date: 2010-05-10
Creation Date: 2007-05-10
Last Update
Date: 2008-03-17
*
Updated 19 May 2008:
Domain: findmadeleine.com
Domain status: clientTransferProhibited,
clientUpdateProhibited
Registrar of Record: TUCOWS, INC.
Record last updated on 19-May-2008.
Record
expires on 10-May-2011.
Record created on 10-May-2007.
|
|
|
The official findmadeleine.com website was set up primarily as a vehicle to collect donations from the public. It must
be said that the content of that site (site relaunched in Feb 2008), particularly in relation to Madeleine herself, was
sparse and woefully weak. For example, in the 'About Madeleine' section, all it told us about Madeleine was that she was 'born
4 years ago'.
It appears clear that the original website, 'bringmadeleinehome.com', was set up, through the efforts of Philomena
McCann, with genuine intentions of raising awareness of Madeleine's disappearance and helping to maintain her profile with
the public. The aim being clearly stated in the website title: To bring Madeleine home.
When the website was relaunched a week later using a different domain name, 'findmadeleine.com', the motivation of the
website had dramatically changed. It was still claimed to be about raising awareness but this was now subservient to the new
driving goal of the site, which was to raise money through donations.
The website was relaunched (becoming the third version) on 01 February 2008, noticeably now without the running
total of donations to Madeleine's Fund but with a vastly improved section on Madeleine herself.
|
Millions have contacted the Madeleine McCann appeal website. Who runs
it? Three teenagers from Ullapool, 15/09/07
|
Millions have contacted the Madeleine McCann appeal website. Who runs it? Three teenagers from
Ullapool
Sunday Herald
By John Bynorth
15 September 2007
Inside the campaign HQ
TWO YOUNG people hurriedly stuff yellow Look For Madeleine wristbands into envelopes, surrounded
by cardboard boxes containing thousands more earmarked for the campaign. Nearby, in the untidy garage store room, Madeleine
badges and posters are awaiting delivery to supporters around the world who have donated £2 for the bands that symbolise the
search for the missing four-year-old.
Policeman's son Calum MacRae, 18, is responsible for the campaign's website and distribution
network for Madeleine's campaign from the unlikely location of the Loch Broom garage, on a windswept industrial estate on
the outskirts of Ullapool, Wester Ross.
Despite Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry, both 39, now being treated by Portuguese police
as suspects in her disappearance while on holiday in the Algarve, Calum claims there has been a recent surge in interest in
the website and wristbands.
"There's no let-up," said Calum, whose Infohost firm hosts the family's official website,
run using some of the £1 million in donations being sent to the privately run Madeleine's Fund: Leaving No Stone Unturned.
"There's been a big increase in orders since they became suspects. Somebody came back 30 times, ordering 100 bands. Sometimes
people just want one or two, so we throw a couple of extra bands in. It's difficult to get rid of some of the medium-sized
bands as they don't fit many people. People would still want the Madeleine bands even if she was found. Her face is a mark.
It's everywhere."
Calum, who has designed websites "since he was 10" is paid out of the global donations to
the fund, which won't be contributing to the McCanns' legal costs.
He refused to be drawn on how much his team of six are paid, and the Sunday Herald's repeated
calls to the fund's spokeswoman, Esther McVey, were not returned. He added: "I can't tell you that, it's not much honestly.
We are just covering our costs. You would need to speak to the fund about that."
Calum is convinced of the couple's innocence and says he will continue to run the website
even if they are charged and tried in Portugal. He said: "I know from speaking to Gerry on the phone that he is 100% innocent.
They are definitely not guilty. Gerry is very determined to find his daughter. You can tell it in his voice when he talks
on the phone. He wouldn't have done all this if they were guilty. If the fund is still going, we will continue the website
even if they are charged and face trial. They wouldn't want us to back off ..."
He remains convinced "someone" in Portugal knows the truth about Madeleine's whereabouts,
and the family yesterday launched an £80,000 TV, newspaper and billboard campaign, which will be translated into several languages
primarly aimed at Spain, Portugal and other mainland European countries, beginning in two weeks.
Madeleine's uncle, John McCann, from Glasgow, said: "The main objective of the Madeleine
fund is to leave no stone unturned in the search for Madeleine."
Calum became involved after Madeleine's aunt, Philomena McCann, his former schoolteacher
in Ullapool, approached him four days after the girl disappeared on May 3.
He said his staff spent between "12 and 20" hours each week on the website and wristbands.
Although he claimed to have lost money on an earlier stunt for Premier League footballers to wear Madeleine t-shirts, he is
pressing ahead with the distribution of T-shirts to the public in return for £10 donations.
Calum said: "We stopped every other thing we were doing that day and put the Find Madeleine
site straight on. It's pretty much full-time doing the website and bands. We just invoice the fund, but it's not expensive
compared with what other companies would charge. We have to account for how many hours are worked. It's not for us to decide
what we are paid, but the fund insist we are."
The website's English-based server crashed when 1.5 million users tried to watch a video
of Madeleine shown at the Uefa and FA Cup finals.
Figures obtained by the Sunday Herald show the Find Madeleine website attracted as many people
as Missing People, the established UK charity formally known as the National Missing Persons Helpline, on September 7, the
day Kate and Gerry were named as suspects in the case.
They show that 400,000 people viewed the Madeleine site, compared to only 150,000 for www.missingpeople.org.uk
which is responsible for issuing appeals for thousands of people who vanish across the UK and Europe. American interest accounted
for 103,000 hits on the Madeleine site, with only 15,000 from Portugal, and around 20,000 each from European countries such
as Spain and Germany, which the family are hoping to target with the poster campaign.
Calum also revealed how Kate checks Gerry's blog before it is emailed to the site. However,
Gerry has only posted one message since his return to Britain last week. Calum added: "It has got crazy at times, we've even
got people going on in places such as Kurdistan."
Another worker on the site, Rona Eddington, 18, the daughter of a senior police inspector
in Ross-shire, said: "We've had people saying in emails we killed her and taken her away' and we hate you.' We don't know
if they are genuine, but they are passed to the police, who chase them all up. We've had so many like that and have to filter
them. The website is about supporting the family."
Rona's father, chief inspector Paul Eddington, said he had no problems with his daughter's
involvement in the website following Leicestershire Police's decision to take Kate's diary and Gerry's laptop, which he used
to write his blog, for their Portuguese counterparts to examine last week.
The Portuguese magistrate examining the case is expected to announce this week whether the
couple will face further questioning.
"I view what my daughter is doing as a parent, rather than a police officer. In the unlikely
event that the investigation did involve the website, I would take a pragmatic view and wouldn't seek to get involved," said
Eddington.
Calum is already working on new ventures after spotting a market in missing-person websites.
Last week he contacted the family of missing schoolgirl Rosemary Edwards, from Hampshire, after her father made an emotional
TV appeal. He said: "I don't think we should be making money out of it, but I would love to do more stuff like this. We phoned
up to see if they wanted a website for that missing girl, but they haven't called back."
www.findmadeleine.com
|
Madeleine Web site gets 55 million hits, 18 May 2007
|
Madeleine Web site gets 55 million hits
Reuters
By Peter Griffiths
Fri May 18, 2007 3:52pm BST
LONDON (Reuters) - A Web site set up to help find missing four-year-old Madeleine McCann has received more than 50 million
hits, its operator said on Friday.
More than 7,500 people have left messages of support on the www.findmadeleine.com site and 55 million hits have been
counted since its launch.
Thousands have downloaded appeal posters and forwarded an email chain letter started by Madeleine's family. The little
girl disappeared from her bedroom at a hotel resort in Portugal on May 3 as her parents dined nearby.
"It is booming," said Calum MacRae, director of Infohost, the Scottish IT company behind the findmadeleine site. "We
didn't expect this number of people.
"We had 10 million hits between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday -- our server just gave up, but we resolved that within
five minutes."
The website www.bringmadeleinehome.com was launched on May 9 and it changed to www.findmadeleine.com on Wednesday.
Messages of support from across Europe, the United States and Australia have been posted on the site.
"You are in my thoughts every day," wrote Heidi from Finland. "I pray that she will be found soon safe and well."
Debbie Bates, from Australia, wrote: "As a mother of two, I cannot imagine for a moment what you are going through."
Parents Kate and Gerry McCann are taking "immense strength" from the messages, said family member Michael Wright.
"Their purpose is to turn hope into action," he said on Thursday. "We want everyone to have an image of Madeleine in
whatever country in Europe they visit."
A video appeal will be shown on Saturday at the FA Cup final between Manchester United and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium.
Portuguese police say they have insufficient evidence to arrest anyone in the hunt for the girl.
One suspect has been identified by police -- a 33-year-old who lives in the area -- but his name has not been made public.
|
Madeleine: 25 million hearts go out to you, 18 May 2007
|
|
|
Sandy Cameron and Michael Wright |
Vanessa Allen in Portugal
18/05/2007
WORLD SYMPATHY FLOODS MADELEINE WEBSITE
HER bravery and dignity in the face of the most appalling loss have touched the hearts of the entire country.
And yesterday the whole world showed its support for Madeleine McCann's mother Kate as a website set up by the family
received 25MILLION hits in 24 hours.
As Kate, 38, left church
wearing a yellow ribbon in
her hair in tribute to her
missing four-year-old
daughter, emotional messages
poured on to www.findmadeleine.com
Kate, her husband Gerry, 38, and their close-knit family started the internet site as a focal point in the search for
Madeleine, who went missing exactly two weeks ago.
Cousin Michael Wright said the McCanns were taking immense strength from the extraordinary response to the website which
went online yesterday.
He said: "They have been totally overwhelmed by the support and good wishes they are receiving from all over the world.
"Both of them are firmly fixed on the campaign, which is designed to raise Madeleine's profile right across Europe and
ensure we bring her home safely. The purpose is to turn hope into action."
The internet campaign is being supported by multinational firms such as BA, BP, Shell, McDonald's and the Royal Bank
of Scotland.
They are putting
Madeleine's image on all
their emails and backing
text message campaigns and
poster distributions. Some
of the companies are also
giving and organising
financial support.
The McCann family - who now refer to themselves as Team McCann - used all their contacts at home and abroad to get the
website set up.
It was launched in a bid to widen the search across Europe and North Africa amid fears Madeleine could have been taken
out of Portugal.
Mr Wright said: "Kate and Gerry are the leadership for the whole campaign. They're able to remain positive and focus
on what we can do rather than go to the dark places they perhaps visited in the early days.
"We want everyone to have an image of Madeleine in whatever country in Europe they visit, which can only help in bringing
her home."
Emotional messages were sent from scores of countries ranging from the US to India.
Holly, from Maryland in America, said: "My thoughts and prayers are with you. I can't begin to imagine what your family
must be going through. I will continue to pray for you until Madeleine is home."
A mother who did not give her name summed up the thoughts of many when she said: "I have 2 children, one a little girl
like Maddie, I cannot imagine what you are going through. Keep strong for each other. I pray that your little girl will come
home really soon, all my thoughts are with you. xxx"
And Katie, from Northern Ireland, wrote: "You are in my thoughts every day, every positive thought I have is that you
and Madeleine will be reunited very soon. Your strength is truly inspirational. With love."
Yesterday, the England cricket team wore yellow ribbons for Madeleine as they played the West Indies at Lord's.
The youngster went missing on May 3 as her parents dined at a tapas bar just yards from their apartment.
|
|
|
Inside The Website Engine Room
By Calum MacRae
www.findmadeleine.com
Updated:12:38, Wednesday
May 23, 2007
Ullapool in northern Scotland may be a long way from the Algarve but in this village we feel very close
to Madeleine McCann and the plight of her family.
Madeleine's Aunt, Phil McCann, is a teacher in Ullapool and she contacted us and asked if we could do
a website for Madeleine.
We were more than happy to oblige. We had a basic site up and running on the internet within a day.
Half a dozen of us who know Phil have been running the website for the past two weeks, night & day.
It soon became obvious to us that we needed to upgrade the site and get some people in to help with the messages that were
pouring in through it.
We have received a huge response from the public with over 150 million visitors on the site from all over the world. We
have just added a new banner for readers to download, to maintain momentum in the Find Madeleine campaign.
We have also received over 70,000 messages of support for the family and to date we have passed on over 200 messages to
the police and crimestoppers with the hope that one of these will lead the authorities to find Madeleine.
We have also added the online payment facility to the site to allow members of the public to make donations to 'Madeleine's
Fund : Leaving No Stone Unturned' Fund.
This has been very popular and we have seen money come in from every corner of the world.
The site is also allowing Jerry and Kate keep the public up to date with what they are doing from day to day, as they feel
it is important for them to keep in touch with the public and to thank them for all their support.
Note: Despite setting up such a high profile site, Calum still doesn't appear to know how to spell
Gerry's name!
|
|
|
Infohost Ltd
'Infohost LTD has been trading for 6 years now'
Infohost has been trading in the UK since May 2003 and is VAT Registered. A VAT Receipt will be supplied with all orders.
Shares contact number with Infohosts Ltd
Cameron MacRae:
|
|
|
|
|
|
With thanks
to Nigel at
McCann Files
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
