Is there a way to save an forum thread for offline viewing / archiving?

I would like to be able to quickly save a whole thread to view offline. Is there a way to do this?

The long linhof serial numbers thread comes to mind as an example.

With the instability with this site lately I feel it would be nice to archive some of the invaluable info found here, just in case...

I've never used the "thread tools" but there is an option to make a printable version, maybe you can save it as a PDF ?

Where are the "thread tools"?

Attachment 260571

Upper, right top of thread.

I never noticed that.

I checked, and that has a "SHOW PRINTABLE VERSION". Then, depending on your BROWSER, you can select PRINT, and if you have set up a PRINT or SAVE TO PDF, you can get a PDF version.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Embdude

I would like to be able to quickly save a whole thread to view offline. Is there a way to do this?

The long linhof serial numbers thread comes to mind as an example.

With the instability with this site lately I feel it would be nice to archive some of the invaluable info found here, just in case...

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Thanks very much for asking the question.

I just checked one of the long threads cited in "the list" that I thought I'd archived. Archive.org has it, but only the first of nine pages.

I tried the "thread tools" trick suggested in post #2 above. It shows only the page selected, not the entire thread.

The only fix seems to be to use thread tools page by page, assemble the complete thread into a document and archive it.

Arrgh! but I think I'd better do it to make "the list" as useful as intended.

I think I found the trick. Click on "Display" at the upper right corner of the thread next to "Thread Tools." Select "Threaded Mode."

Copy the thread URL into archive.org's "Enter URL or keywords" slot. Wait for the archiving process to complete.

Here's an example: https://web.archive.org/web/20250629...&mode=threaded

Curses! This trick still archives only the thread's first page. No good for longer discussions.

I think I've solved it, at least for older threads.

Search for the thread in domain https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/archive/ In Google Advanced Search, put the domain name in the "site or domain" slot. When you have the thread, put its URL in web.archive.org's "save page" slot. The "Enter URL or keywords" slot on the archive.org welcome page sometimes works too.

I don't know how/when the LF forum decides to copy threads to https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/archive/

An example:

LFPF has put this thread: https://www.largeformatphotography.i...09-Lousy-Dagor
away as https://www.largeformatphotography.i...p/t-13109.html.

Here it is on archive.org: https://web.archive.org/web/20250629...p/t-13109.html

Interesting.
It looks like it works.
To this moment I was compiling .txt or .doc files, time consuming task.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dan Fromm

I think I found the trick. Click on "Display" at the upper right corner of the thread next to "Thread Tools." Select "Threaded Mode."

Copy the thread URL into archive.org's "Enter URL or keywords" slot. Wait for the archiving process to complete.

Here's an example: https://web.archive.org/web/20250629...&mode=threaded

Curses! This trick still archives only the thread's first page. No good for longer discussions.

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Before saving, chnage the number of posts that show per page to the maximum. That will reduce the number of pages you have to save. Pick 50.

See Settings>

Attachment 260588

I believe you can Save As the page as a Webpage.

Also, in “Thread Tools” you can subscribe to the current thread you are viewing. With this, you can monitor new comments and when it cools off, you can send it to a PDF.