Stealing Everything You Need From the Internet
(And Those Niggling Copyright Issues)

Retrieving HTML Files

World Wide Web browsers (e.g., Netscape) usually have the built in capacity to save, or download, the file being viewed. Netscape for Windows merely requires the user to use the File pull-down menu option to save the HTML file being viewed. Note that HTML links in the file may not function properly. It is a good habit to note the original Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a file when retrieving it. Ideally, the original URL can be imbedded in the file such that when it is accessed at some point in the future, the user can (if they have a functioning networked workstation) connect to the original file.

A technique used by the author consists of placing the original URL as a link at the top of the file. Second, many internal links are disabled for instructional purposes. If you've stolen only a few files, you may want to disable the links pointing to files elsewhere on the Internet. This technique also allows the designer to direct users to specific links for instructional purposes (e.g., you disable the links to Scott Adams' "Dilbert" since it's not relevant to an instruction package on Nursing).

Retrieving HTML files is trivial. Modifying them for local use requires an understanding of HTML links.

Retrieving Text Files

Text files, usually having the file extension ".TXT", are downloaded the same way as HTML files. The problem of links not working is not a problem since these are static items with no links. It is still good form to note (and perhaps enclose in the local version) the original URL of the document retrieved.

Retrieving Graphics

Many retrieved HTML files contain links to inline graphics which are not part of the saved HTML file. By accessing the local file with a browser, the inline images will invariably not display. By looking at the source HTML file, the location of the graphic can be determined. Once determined, the URL can be entered and the stand-alone graphic can be displayed, and then downloaded.

Example:

Point a browser at the author's home page at URL :

http://www.umsl.edu/~muns

If you save the HTML file, and then attempt to display it, the logo of the University of Missouri-St. Louis will not appear. You must save the logo separately in the same directory as the saved HTML file. Looking at the HTML source code you will see something containing:

<IMG SRC="logo.gif">

(There will be some other HTML formatting codes such as ALIGN and ALT.
If you enter the URL:

http://www.umsl.edu/~muns/logo.gif

in your browser, you can retrieve the graphic as a single entity. In this example, if it's saved in the same directory as the HTML file of the author's home page, then point your browser at this local file, the graphic will be accessible.

Play with this technique of retrieving inline, and other, graphic files, since it is useful in producing educational packages.

If You Didn't Do It, It's Not Yours

DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER

I'm not a lawyer and this isn't legal advice. If you take it and go down in flames without consulting a REAL lawyer, it's not my responsibility!

END DISCLAIMER END DISCLAIMER END DISCLAIMER

Copyright law is fairly simple: ANYTHING produced after 1978 is the property of someone. If you use it without their permission you may be in violation of US and international copyright laws. This includes e-mail messages, gopher menus, HTML documents, buildings, paintings, and a whole lot of other stuff. Yes, it's confusing. But. Beware.

If you're planning on mounting something on the Internet for all to use and access, try and stick to the public domain information produced by government sources. Beware that even US Government information in some cases is copyrighted and NOT public domain. This is a warning, not a tutorial. Just because it's on the Internet, doesn't mean the laws do not apply. They do.

Now. Interpreting what the laws really mean, THAT'S a problem.!