Ok, how do I keep stuff for posterity?

[MrDan]

Since I'm effectively so new to metalworking that I'm still in the wrapper I'm finding countless good ideas just cruising the forums. My question is, is it possible to mark threads as "favorites" or something? I know I can bookmark each individual thread but many sites have a built in way to keep up with threads your interested in. I do know how to subscribe to a thread but that only keeps me informed if someone posts a new post to that thread. I've looked and cannot find anything like what I'm talking about. Did I miss something?

[SpyGuy]

At the top of the thread, click "Thread Tools" -> "Subscribe to this Thread"

[MrDan]

At the top of the thread, click "Thread Tools" -> "Subscribe to this Thread"

Ah heck. And then you click on subscribed threads under quick links. (Bonking forehead on wall)

Thanks

[Carld]

If it's something I really want to keep and make then I download it to my documents and store it in a file.

[nheng]

Everything on the internet disappears after a while. Yahoo groups have been erased by Yahoo when idle for a while, Newsgroup archives were swallowed up by Google and have become more difficult to get at. The search tool on this forum is basically dysfunctional.

The best thing to do is get yourself a .pdf creation utility like Primo PDF. It acts like any other printer on your system but writes to a PDF (that you can name with something that will have meaning in a year or more) instead of printing.

Images are another thing worth saving, especially machines Just right click and do a "save image as" to a folder you keep for them and again, with meaningful name. It's really handy to have a bunch of pictures for a machine you're restoring, thinking of buying or are making a homebrew accessory for.

Den

[Michael Moore]

And don't forget to make a backup on a different drive too.

Generally, I've found that the definition of a backup for most people is "a copy of the data that didn't get made before you lost everything". I've been there and I'm trying not to go there again!

I've seen too many interesting sites disappear so if I see something interesting I copy it to my PC before it has a chance to get away. Storage space is so inexpensive these days it isn't even a factor. But it will pay off it you put a little thought into a file and folder naming scheme so you can find things at some later time.

cheers,
Michael

[Carld]

By download I mean cut and paste the text in word or pdf.

[Michael Moore]

FWIW Metalmeet.com just had a major crash and the most recent backup they could find is from 3.5 years ago. If they can't find anything newer that means there's a LOT of very useful info that has just gone "poof".

If you see something you'd better grab it when you can.

FYI PDF Creator will let you print a web page to PDF. You may still need to manually save photos that are only linked, or that load from a small photo in the thread.

cheers,
Michael

[RPM]

When I'm browsing through a thread that I realise is, and will be important to me, I create a whole Word copy of all the relevant text, plus pics. I then print out a hard copy, and also download a large format of the photos and print them out too. Obviously save the Word doc as well on a hard drive, or these days even better on a flash stick.
Works good after a few years when you remember that you have it carefully filed, and that you need it now .
Some of the information that you come across, directly from others direct experience is priceless, and you won't find it anywhere else in print

Richard in Los Angeles

[Mcruff]

When I'm browsing through a thread that I realise is, and will be important to me, I create a whole Word copy of all the relevant text, plus pics. I then print out a hard copy, and also download a large format of the photos and print them out too. Obviously save the Word doc as well on a hard drive, or these days even better on a flash stick.
Works good after a few years when you remember that you have it carefully filed, and that you need it now .
Some of the information that you come across, directly from others direct experience is priceless, and you won't find it anywhere else in print

Richard in Los Angeles

I basically do this same thing.