Browser cache (was: [WDSCI-L] Can't get .JS out of my cache)

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Mark S. Waterbury wrote:
> The idea that a browser requires the user to decide when to "flush the
> cache" is absurd, IMHO, and was/is a very poor design decision, especially
> in light of (non-technical) "end users" ... :-o

>From my experience, having the user flush the cache is a problem solving
technique ... if everything works right, the user should not have to
flush the cache ... but if something does go wrong, the cache must be
manually flushed.

Of course, flushing the cache seems to be the standard first response
out of every support persons mouth these days ... my DSL service was
down a few weeks ago and I called support ... and was told to flush the
cache, even though I had just told the support rep that the connection
light on the modem was off.

> Instead, browsers should be smart enough to check periodically (or as
> needed) to see if files in the cache have been updated, and refresh them
> automatically, or just delete them when they are detected to be
> "out-of-date" so they will be downloaded again "on demand" when and if
> needed. 

Which is what it does.

To be honest, I've found very few problems that flushing the cache
actually solves ... at least in an end-user situation, but that's just me.

david