Where Did that link Go?

          Unless you happen to be highly organized (unlike me) or separate your online interests by screenname (too many interests here), you might have a big mess in your favorites folder.  I just spent ALL morning cleaning up my Favorites folder!  I thought I would share tips based on how I get Favorites Links more organized.  I might need to put these in a couple posts here.

      FIRST, you need to look in your Favorites Folder and see what you got in there.   To OPEN the folder, CLICK the Red Heart on the AOL Toolbar.  Toolbar is across the top of AOL.  Got it open?  Ok, now, just look at the entries. 

          Some webpages are not named very well by their web creators, so you might have Link Titles in there like "Index" or "Library" or non-descript titles that you don't remember sticking in there.  Click on each one, one at a time, so you can see WHAT they are.  Maybe that "Index" link is for a site called "Ridiculously Funny Jokes" and you like it a lot!  So first, change the Link's title to something you will recognize, like "Ridiculously Funny Jokes."  Yes, you can change titles; it won't affect anything.   To CHANGE it, Highlight the Link in your Favs (but don't click it), and while it is highlighted, click the Square box called EDIT (bottom of Favorites' Screen).  Enter the new title on the first line (do NOT change anything in the 2nd line that has the http: www address).

         SECOND, think about categories your links fall into.  Let's say you have lots of links to NEWS, to GENEALOGY SITES, to other interests like ONLINE GAMES, FISHING, and FUN SITES.  You should try to group similar links.

          THIRD, the structure of the Favorites box is a "tree".  The main trunk of the tree is the first folder called "Favorite Places" at the top.  ALL Links you have dropped there ALL fall under the main trunk.  What we are going to do is create folders, or "branches," onto the main trunk.  So, highlight the main folder called "Favorite Places." Think about what links you use the MOST because you need to create that folder first.  Let's say NEWS is most important to you, then ONLINE GAMES, then, FUN SITES, then FISHING.  Highlight "Favorite Places" Folder, go down to the square box called NEW --- inside mark the dot (radio button) for "folder" -- you now only have one line to type on -- Enter NEWS on that line & click "OK".   You will NOT hear anything.  The folder you just created is at the BOTTOM of the list (don't worry about that now).  Go back & highlight the folder "favorite places" and make each new folder you want.  I like to make a "BLANK" folder in-between my real folders.  To create a BLANK folder, first do NEWS, then do one called BLANK, then create, ONLINE GAMES, then create BLANK 2 (you need a number to make each "blank" folder be different), then FUN SITES, then BLANK, then FISHING.  Got all those made?

          THIRD, look at your red heart links you already stuck into your Favorites.  Highlight one of the ones concerning "news" and  hold down your SHIFT KEY while you "drag" that heart-link down to your NEWS FOLDER.  Once on TOP of the News Folder, let go of the shift key to "drop" the Link into the Folder.  Go back up & repeat for ALL NEWS links.  If you mess up, just drag the wrong link out of the folder.  Repeat the process for all links & each folder.  TIP: if you want to move more than 1 link, highlight the first one, move down to the last you want to include, and hold down the LEFT MOUSE button--all links you wanted are now highlighted.  Use the shift key & scroll down while holding the key; drop those into the folder. 

         Soon, ALL your links should be in their folders.

        If you do not like the order (line up) of what folder is first, second etc., you can move them.  Highlight the first folder you want to appear and using the methods described before, drag it back UP to the MAIN My Favorites Folder.  Drop it in.  Go find the 2nd folder you want and repeat the process.... until you've done each in the order you want them to appear.  (each "drops" to bottom of the list-- when all finished though, your "first" folder should be back to the top of the list.  If you did "blank" folders in between, move a blank folder after each real folder so that everything gets back into order under the "My Favorites" main folder. 

         It's hard to describe steps like these in words, so I hope I've given the instructions clearly.  Let me know if I didn't so I can re-explain.