By Michael Sauers

Subscribing to a Web Site
Librarians who use Microsoft's Internet Explorer 4.x to access the World Wide Web may have noticed a check-box under Add to favorites labeled Make available offline. What does this allow a user to do? Let me give you an example of how this feature can benefit you.

One of your favorite web sites has a page showing what's new on the site. Although the page does not change with any frequency, you look at it every morning just in case. By placing a check mark on the above-mentioned box, you will be telling Internet Explorer to check out the page for you and to notify you when it changes.

Here are the steps:

• Go to the page and select Add to favorites. Then check the Make available offline box.
• Click the Customize button. This will take you to the Offline Synchronization Wizard.
• Choose whether you also want to retrieve the web pages this page links to. The answer is usually No. Click Next.
• You are offered three choices about how you would like Internet Explorer to check the page:
  • Only by choosing Synchronize from the Favorites menu are you allowed to manually control when pages are checked. Internet Explorer will not automatically check.
  • Choose I would like to create a new schedule when you have never set an automatic schedule before or want to create a new schedule. You will then be asked how often you would like Internet Explorer to check your page and at what time.
  • Using this existing schedule is chosen when you have previously set up schedules and would like to use a specific one. Then click Next.
  
• If the page requires a user name and password to access it, enter them here. Without these, Internet Explorer will not be allowed to check for changes. Click Finish.
• Click OK to add your favorite web site.

These are the basic steps needed to have the Internet Explorer browser automatically check the pages for you. Once it starts checking the pages, watch for a red asterisk (*) on the site's icon. If one appears, that means the page has changed.

There is one more trick, however -- automatic notification via e-mail. If your e-mail program handles HTML-based mail (Outlook Express which comes with Internet Explorer 4.x does), you can direct Internet Explorer to mail you the changed document. To do this:

• Select Favorites|Manage Offline Pages.
• Right click on one of the listed pages and select Properties.
• Select the Download tab.
• Check the box labeled When this page changes, send e-mail to:
• Fill in your e-mail address and mail server (SMTP) address.
• Click OK.

The next time Internet Explorer checks for changes and finds some, you will find a copy in your mail box.

A Few Notes
If you use a dial-up connection, Internet Explorer will automatically dial your ISP, do the work and hang up. (I set mine at home to check at 6 a.m., then get up and check my e-mail at 7 a.m.) Netscape (Communicator 4.5) currently does not support this feature.

---