Bookmarks

Web browsers typically have a way of allowing you to collect a list of web pages you often visit into an easily accessible list. These quick reference entries are called bookmarks. Bookmarks can usually be organized into hierarchical folders, allowing you to order them by subjects or other categories. Bookmark files can be shared, allowing detailed topic specific collections of URLs to be conveniently exchanged between colleagues.

If using Netscape, the URL of the current page is always displayed in the Location box. When you find a web page to which you'd like to return later, click on Bookmarks on the Toolbar and select "Add Bookmark." When you click on Bookmarks again, the title of the site you just added will appear in a list at the bottom, below the "My Stuff" folder. If you choose the bookmark you just added, the browser will automatically enter the URL and take you to that web page.

The Edit Bookmarks option allows you to move, remove, or change the name of bookmarks in your bookmark file. From the Netscape Bookmarks window you can choose File/New Folder to create separate categories or folders in which you can group similar web sites. You can move bookmarks up or down in the list or under a header by just clicking on the bookmark and dragging it to where you want it to go. You can highlight an entry and then choose Edit/Delete in order to remove a bookmark you no longer want.

It is possible to have multiple bookmark files available for your convenience. Over time, you may amass a large collection of bookmarks on a certain subject which interests you. Your collection may be so good that others would benefit from having access to your bookmark file and it's links to the your favorite resources in your particular field of interest. Because bookmark files are ascii text files, sharing is quite simple. The easiest way to share your bookmark file is to simply send it through email.

To send someone your bookmark file if you are using Netscape, send an email message to the person as you normally would. In the body of the message attach the file bookmark.htm (PC's) or bookmark.html (Mac) from your Netscape User folder or directory. Typically, your Netscape folder is
C:\Program Files\Netscape\Users\"username" for PC users or a similiar path from the Netscape folder on the hard drive for Mac users. "username" should be replaced by your User Profile name that you use when starting Netscape Communicator. If your email program does not support attaching a file you can open or view your bookmark file using a word processor and then use cut and paste, to add it to the text of your message.

To view a bookmark file someone sends to you, save the message to a file on your hard drive, preferably with an identifying filename such as john-doe.htm. Then, open Netscape and choose File/Open Page from the Netscape menu bar and choose the file you saved to your hard drive. The file should then appear as your current web page with all the links taking you to the proper destination provided you are currently connected to the Internet.

Activity:
1. Using the Back button step backwards to the Reach for the Sky Home Page. When you reach it, save it as a bookmark in your browser. Then use the Forward button to come back to this page. When you're done you should then have a listing under your bookmark menu item for Reach for the Sky and you should be able to return to these lessons quickly and easily the next time you are online.