I emailed David Hale (the site owner) on 13 Jan and he replied later in the day (he's in Australia) saying
"Yes, the MAPCO website is down, for both technical and financial reasons. It is generating too much traffic and server load, and the only way to address this was to close the site.
At this stage I am uncertain when, or if, it will return."
I replied saying
"Hello David
I'm truly sorry to hear that. I've been using and recommending your site for several years - it's invaluable. Clearly the technical issues of traffic and server load are a consequence of its success.
Sadly I didn't think (as I suppose did most others) that there might be a funding issue. Is there anything that can be done to assist? I'm quite certain I wouldn't be alone in saying that I'd happily contribute (either once off or more regularly) if that would help."
I haven't had a reply.
Dick Mathews