So, here we are. It’s your second week on the MacMaineiac Diet, designed to help you shed those extra computer “pounds” and keep your system in tip-top shape. How do you feel? Great? You’re looking good – I can see it on you already.

Let’s get right to this week’s session. It’s pretty safe to say that the most-used application on today’s consumer computers is the web browser. All web browsers share a propensity to occasionally put on a little weight. But, they can’t help it – it’s built into their makeup - “in their genes” – so to speak.

Web browsers, in order to speed up page loading, place the information (yes, even images) on pages you view into what’s called “cache” files. This action makes the browser speedier in displaying cached pages when you go back to them, either right away or later. Caching is particularly effective when surfing using a slow dial-up connection. Previously-viewed images and text are pulled from the cache files already on your computer and not downloaded again through the slow internet connection.

When you return to a web site page that is cached, the browser, behind the scenes, compares the old cached information with what it is receiving from the site, and theoretically refreshes the old with anything new. However, this doesn’t always work as smoothly as advertised. Every once-in-awhile I get an email from someone who visits one of my websites complaining that it’s not displaying the weekly update they’re expecting. Most likely their browser is showing them a cached page. This appears to be a problem common to all modern browsers, and can be remedied simply by Refreshing or Reloading (whatever your browser calls it) the page. If once doesn’t do the trick, try one more time. If you still no luck, maybe the page in question really hasn’t been updated this week.

As more people get broadband high-speed internet access, more web developers are building sites that are more heavily dependent on graphics, Flash and Shockwave animations, even video and music. You can see how this could cause the cache files your browser creates to become larger as well, taking up more space on your computer.

Besides adding “weight” to your computer, browser caching can also have the opposite of its intended effect and actually slow down your browsing experience. Remember I said that your browser compares the content of the cached pages on your computer to what it’s currently “seeing” on the site? Well, this process take time – maybe even enough that you’d actually notice. With a really fast internet connection, this comparison can actually take longer than it would take for an uncached, completely new page to load in.

How can you avoid becoming a “cache cow”? (Sorry, I couldn’t resist). Within their preference settings, browsers can let you place a limit on the total cache size, turn it off completely, specify whether and when pages will be updated, and give you a button to clear the cache completely. Check your individual browser settings to discover the options you have.

So, should you enable the browser cache or not? If you’re using a dial-up connection, I would say leave it on. Maybe even for a relatively slow (128 or 256 Kbps) DSL or cable modem connection. Anything faster, and you might consider either disabling the cache or setting it to a low limit (like 5 megabytes, for example).

If you’re using your cache, at any size, consider clearing the browser cache completely at least once a month. Happy browsing!

© 2005 Peter F. Zimowski