If you would like to make your own backup of the forum it is easy to do. Reasons you would want to backup the forum (or any webpage for that matter)? If a site does down and you need info before it gets back online, if you want to view items while not connected online, etc.

Here's how to do it. It is very, very easy just several steps but once you start it will all make sense. Just take it each step at a time:

1. Go to the top of the screen under the blue line where it says "File", "Edit", "View", etc. You want to choose "Favorites" ;
2. Click on "Add to Favorites" ;
3. Check the box that says "Make Available Offline" ;
4. Click the box that says "Customize" ;
5. If you get an introduction screen that asks if you want to show that page again, just click "Next". (If you don't get this screen go to the next step.);
6. You will get a screen that asks if you want to make other links available. You want to choose "Yes" then you need to click on how many links deep you want it. In other words when you see the questions listed on the forum - that is 1 link deep. When you click on a particular questions (a thread) you go to that post -- that is 2 links deep. If the thread has a link to another website and you want to click there - that is 3 links deep; and so forth. So here you need to decide how deep you want to go. Here's a tip: It takes a LONG time to go 3 links deep. But if you want to, and you have the hard disk space to use, do it. But, you can go 2 links deep and if you want to view the other suggested website you can put your mouse on it and right click, go to "properties" and it will give you the web address for the link. Write that down and go to it at other time. Don't go more than 3 links deep - it really isn't necessary to go anymore than 2. Once you decide how many links deep to go - click in that number;
7. Next you will get screen that talks about synchronizing. Best thing here to do is choose "Only When I Choose Synchoronize From The Tools Menu";
8. Next screen will ask if the site requires a password. If the site you are backing up (for instance the Beyond The Sidewalks forum) requires you to use a password before entering the site - you will type your password here. If you don't need a password such as in this forum - click "No" then click "Finish" ;
9. You will be back to the favorites screen. Choose "OK" . If you already have that site in your favorites list it will ask if you want to ovewrite it -- you will choose "yes".

Your done setting up what you want backed up and how. The hard part is all over! Your computer will probably start the synchronizing process right away. If it doesn't just to go "tools", "synchronize", click on the forum you want and hit "synchronize". Let it run through it's cycle. You can do other things on the computer (yes, you will run a bit slower, just like when you download anyother file) - just be careful you don't accidentally close or end the process. Your Done!!

So now you have this backup and want to see it. You can either burn it on a CD (just like you would burn any other file - then delete the favorite to free up the disk space) or if you have the hard drive space and just want to keep it on your computer you can view it from there.

To view from your computer, just click on Internet Explorer. Don't let it dial up. If it does, just choose disconnect as it is dialing up and then choose work offline. Go to "favorites" and choose your forum. You then just move around like you normally would in the forum.

There are lots of other options and probably other ways of doing these things; however, I think this is the easiest. Just remember, for forum backup you need at least 2 links deep. The deeper you go after that the longer -- and I do mean L-O-N-G-E-R (because you are also backuping up another site) it will be. But, hey, if you have time and disk space to burn backup to your hearts content!

-- Karen (mountains_mama2@hotmail.com), February 12, 2002