Site Savers
Meg A. Byte, a pseudonym for technology writer, educator, and educational technology consultant Constance Bleiler, is Education World's technology expert.
Dear Meg A. Byte,
Is it possible to save an entire Web site to my hard drive? I want to use a great Web site in an upcoming lesson, but my classroom doesn't have Internet access.
Signed
Teresa Firma
Dear Teresa Firma,
So, you want to abandon the surf in favor of solid ground? Yes, you can save sites and view them without accessing the Internet. First, for the benefit of those readers who don't have their feet as firmly planted as you, allow me to explain why some people might want to save Web sites locally.
As anyone who surfs knows, the Web is an invaluable source of information. That information, however, is only valuable if it's fully accessible. In situations in which you don't have access to the Web, or at times when you don't want to have to connect to the Web, the information "disappears." Whether you want Web-based information for a presentation or for leisure reading, storing it on your own computer allows you to get to it at any time.
Several companies produce software that allows you to save entire Web sites and open them again when you are offline. Spider Software, for example, produces shareware that includes an offline browser. Simply save the Web site you want and open it later in the browser provided. If you prefer to use your usual browser, you can open it in that too.
Two other shareware products, HTTrack Website Copier and Webstripper, offer similar products, without the offline browser. The software saves the site as an HTML file; you use your favorite browser to open it again.
Some of those products even allow you to strip out the banner ads that inhabit many sites. So, unless you're keen on viewing those ads, choose a product that gives you the option of vanquishing them.
Finally, a note of caution: Large Web sites can be hard-drive hogs. Keep an eye on your hard drive space as you download those sites.
May your feet stay grounded and your children not. Happy downloading.
Meg
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