How to Efficiently Work Offline

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Upgrade to a smartphone and data plan that allow for tethering

   Keep in mind the data and speed limitations of tethering.
2. 2

   Step 2: so you can create a hotspot with your smartphone and use that to access Internet over your computer.

   Beware of security issues particularly if accessing stuff over non-secure sites.
   
   Consider using a VPN if you have security concerns. , If you're working offline because you have many distractions online, consider browser plugins that block distractions. , Download relevant documents to the local hard drive on your machine.
   
   If using Google Docs, enable the work offline feature., You can increase the cache size to maximize the power of the feature.
   
   If "Work Offline" proves insufficient, explore plugins or extensions to your browser that automatically save all pages you visit. ,, If using Dropbox or Google Docs, make sure you're synced up on all the material you intend to work on before you go offline.
   
   Similarly, if working on a code repository using Git or something similar, make sure to pull in changes from the remote branch so you are working with up-to-date code. , Unless your computer has memory or processing power limitations, it's better to open more pages than the ones you are absolutely sure you'll need.
   
   A typical laptop with 8GB of RAM can handle 50+ tabs open in Chrome just fine. , YouTube allows you to continue watching videos offline if the video is buffered completely, as long as you don't close the tab or navigate away from the video page in the tab. , WordPress and most CMSs allow you to continue editing offline as long as you keep that tab open and don't navigate away.
   
   You can also open the editing areas of other documents or pages that you might want to copy/paste from. ,,, Just mark those as things you need to check when you get back online.
   
   If there are many such things, pick up another piece of work. , Or at any rate, if doing so, be prepared to have to discard much of your work once you get back online.
   
   Examples are reports on evolving news events, and work on documents where others are also making changes to the same document. , Do this if you are afraid that the syncing process might mess it up. ,, For some things (like Google Docs and Dropbox) this can be automatic, whereas for others, it requires a manual syncing step.
3. 3

   Step 3: Check for wi-fi options provided by your transit agency

4. 4

   Step 4: or other area where you work frequently

5. 5

   Step 5: so you can connect to Wi-Fi Internet.

6. 6

   Step 6: Think about your distractions.

7. 7

   Step 7: Keep as much stuff as possible on your local drive.

8. 8

   Step 8: Use your browser's "Work Offline" feature to access the cached version on your hard drive of pages you visited recently.

9. 9

   Step 9: If your work involves listening to music or watching videos

10. 10

    Step 10: get software to download the music or videos.

11. 11

    Step 11: Be up-to-date prior to going offline.

12. 12

    Step 12: If you intend to browse particular webpages

13. 13

    Step 13: open them all up in browser tabs prior to your departure.

14. 14

    Step 14: If you intend to watch videos

15. 15

    Step 15: load up the video page and let the video buffer up completely on your local drive.

16. 16

    Step 16: If your offline work involves editing a Google Doc

17. 17

    Step 17: WordPress blog post

18. 18

    Step 18: Wikipedia page

19. 19

    Step 19: or something similar

20. 20

    Step 20: open the editing area prior to going offline.

21. 21

    Step 21: If you want to develop web applications that work offline and automatically synchronize data when connectivity is restored

22. 22

    Step 22: use the Meteor.js framework

23. 23

    Step 23: If you have a smartphone with online access

24. 24

    Step 24: use that to check any quick facts that you need.

25. 25

    Step 25: Don't sweat out every detail of your work

26. 26

    Step 26: particularly details that require you to be online.

27. 27

    Step 27: Avoid working offline in cases where the situation is evolving rapidly.

28. 28

    Step 28: Make sure you have local copies of whatever you were working on.

29. 29

    Step 29: Fill in any details that you had marked as things to check when you get back offline.

30. 30

    Step 30: Sync up your offline work.

Detailed Guide

About the Author