WildSnow Website Behavior — Email, Comment Notification, Caching, Etc.
Update, October 2017 Anyone using our comment notification system, Microsoft (Hotmail) is blocking the IP we use to email your notifications. Am attempting to fix, but it’s Microsoft, so who knows how long it’ll be for the fix, if ever. I’ll keep watching, if necessary we’ll do something else to fix. Apologies from me if you’ve been wondering why you’re not getting any notifications.
Further, if you don’t like getting your comment notifications, please don’t mark the emails as “Junk” in Outlook or Gmail as doing so may trigger their systems to block our IP. Instead, just contact me and I’ll remove you from the notifications system. For contact, use menu option above.
Update, November 20. Things seem to be better though we’re still getting reports from folks who’s browsers are doing too good a job of caching the site. We’re still working on our end, that’s why I didn’t quite get this morning’s blog post done (perhaps this afternoon). If you are still experiencing problems (old posts showing, new ones not appearing when you browse to site), at the least do a cold boot of your computer and use the refresh option for your browser. Apparently some folk’s browsers cached our former cache settings, or something like that. So the refresh can “stick.” Fortunately, as indicated by our server metrics most of you are having no problems, but I want it to work for everyone, so thanks for any ongoing feedback.
Original post: Calling all WildSnow readers. I’ve been playing around with website server settings to deal with “traffic storms” such as when we published the Jetforce Airbag post. Apparently something I did might make the site tend to stay cached on your browser without refreshing easily enough. In other words, you might exit the site, then return, and everything looks the same even though there is actually a new blog post and/or new comments.
One user said they were having to refresh their browser cache (by clicking the refresh icon, or hitting F5) to be able to see any changes, even though they had exited and returned to the site. Meaning the site caching is working a little too well.
Anyone experiencing any inconvenient site behavior due to how it browser caches?
Thanks all, Lou
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Comments
52 Responses to “WildSnow Website Behavior — Email, Comment Notification, Caching, Etc.”
I’m on an IPhone 4S, most recent upgrade 7.0.4 and have had no issues leading up to the jet force post, and none since
Yes Lou definitely having to refresh a lot here. Also my mobile takes me to the “desktop” site rather than the mobile site, which it didn’t do before(but this may be user error-I’ve no idea how this thing works)
I’m using chrome on Windows 7 currently and just experienced a caching snafu when posting a comment.
Hi Lou –
Running Windows 8 and Chrome and having the same Cache problems
Ditto: Arnie’s comments
Hello!
My Mozilla firefox does not show last four posts. Google Chrom does.
Lou, I’ve had to manually refresh the website after clicking on it’s bookmark for about the last week on both my work laptop (shhhh don’t tell the boss) and my home PC. Both use Chrome 31.0.1650.57 m.
Thanks guys! Sounds like I created problems by “fixing” things (grin). I’m going to totally turn off the most recent caching stuff in a moment. If any of you could test at say 9:10 MST and get back on this comment thread, I’d appreciate it.
Arnie, your not seeing Mobile version of site is by intent. I turned it off, and instead am optimizing regular desktop version as well as eventually new responsive theme.
But if I get many complaints I can turn the Mobile version back on. It just wasn’t getting used by very many folks, since 4g and increased bandwidth of cellular makes it less important.
Lou
Same issues as Andy M.
Try it now you guys, and see if behavior is any better in terms of caching/refreshing. Thanks so much, Lou
I use Chrome w/ Windows 7-pro I just (10:30 mtn) had to do a refresh to get today’s content.
PC & Browser’s been up for about four hours.
same issue as above. have to do a hard refresh (Shift-F5) to get new content. Win 7, Firefox.
Using OS X 10.9 and current Safari. No problems.
Cancel my previous post. I just had to refresh to see newer posts, which, oddly, I had already seen. This one, for example.
Time travel!
It stopped working on my iPad earlier in the week. I have to clear the cache in Chrome to see new posts and comments. It had been stuck on the Dynafit PDG post all day.
chrome on Win7, still appear to be cache issues here.
Looking at the site daily I didn’t realize I was stuck with a page cached on the 11th until today (15th). Was wondering what had happened to updates!
Firefox on Win 8
Looks like the caching I set up is bogus. Easy for me to regress it, will do so asap Saturday evening probably. Actually just got sat internet working at WildSnow HQ, is functioning well but my online password manager won’t work because of new IP, whew, it never ends!
Lou,
From what I could tell there weren’t any HTTP cache headers set up on the pages that weren’t refreshing, so you may be getting CDN’s caching your pages, not the browsers. One way to demonstrate that is type in http://www.wildsnow.com?foo=true into your browser. The extra query params forces the browser/cdn to send the request to the server and not use a cached copy.
The non-cached pages I pull down have Cache-Control:max-age=0 set in the header so the user should see the latest copy of the web site.
Shucks Michael, that’s strange. Perhaps I can work on this with you a bit on Monday or Tuesday. You want a consultant gig?
I did comment out a few lines of the cache header stuff in htaccess, perhap you looked after I did that.
We do need better caching, but not so that folks don’t see latest post! (And, sorrty about that guys and gals!)
Lou
Lou,
I’d be happy to help out, I assume you have my email from these posting, drop me an email and we can get this fixed.
Mike
Hello! Now i have to use proxy to see all post even on google chrome. Firefox show me post with alot ski boots in picture. Chrome last post is this but only with 6 responses.
Yeah, I messed it up trying to invoke too much caching. Will fix in a few hours. Everyone, please evaluate Monday morning, that would really help me out. Thanks, Lou
I would have to agree with you Lou … i was seeing the “fitness” post for the last several days until today.
Bigg, does browsing appear to be more normal now, in terms of caching? For example, hopefully you see this comment when I make it. And will see this morning’s (Monday) post when we post it in a few hours?
Thanks all for continued feedback.
What’s frustrating is I made the caching change and it had _no_ effect on my own browsing, probably because I’m refreshing the site so often while doing admin.
Lou
Lou – running chrome on Windows 7, just experienced the “refresh to get an uncached page” symptom after being away from the site for 3 days (shock!). I’ll keep tracking it.
this is most likely redundant, but my previous comment just appeared without refresh. so first trial says: symptom is gone.
Jack, thanks, I did totally delete one of my caching implementations about two hours ago. But it was still running early this morning and through the weekend.
Everyone, please keep paying attention to caching/refresh behavior and give feedback if possible. Super helpful.
I can’t test very well myself as I’m constantly busting any caching due to all the backend work we do on the site.
Thanks, Lou
Just checked the site at work. Using Chrome and Windows XP.
Had to refresh.
Guys, we just made more changes. Please pay attention to behavior over the next 24 hours or 48 hours, but don’t do anything special. Main thing is if, when you open up website in the morning in normal fashion, you see new blog post without clicking refresh button.
Also, be sure you look at your browser cache settings if you can.
Thanks, Lou
Lou,
I just opened the website on my work computer at 4:42 MST. It required a “refresh” click to load the new stuff from the previous point I had opened it on, ie it still showed the Grand Teton/Boot review. I am on a POS computer (figured it was just me) using Google Chrome. I guess that is what I get for browsing at work!
I’ll post if this continues. Thanks!
Phil, please reevaluate in the morning. If possible start from having browser totally closed down.
The caching we have set up ostensibly just forces caching of some images, not text.
Thanks, Lou
Right now I had to press F5 to refresh and see that There are 3 new post about boots I haven’t see!!!!
F***k!
XD
Just to inform you,
from spain I must press F5 to watch my fav skiing site: Wildsnow.com
Pablo
Sorry about that Pablo! I’ll work on this issue all day today. Lou
It works, thank you very much. Your post are always very educational.
Thanks for checking Samo!
Now in Spain is working nice and sweet!
And there’s a new modding post! yeah!
How I adore Wildsnow.com!
Thanks Lou!
Thanks! I seriously thought you banned me from the site or something. ha. I couldn’t get in at all for the past couple weeks. In now.
Lou,
This afternoon it loaded the Fitness Pre-season workout post from awhile back at 3:05pm, and this am (say 10ish) it loaded the page with the latest post. So it reverted back…? Both of these opening were from totally closed down google chrome pages.
Just a heads, up, not a complaint on my end, but I can see how you would want this sorted out. Since I’m already jamming you page up, if you have 4:35 and like rock and roll in addition to skiing, take a look at my time little edit from before the Beartooth front range started to rot for the season!
http://bcbuzzards.com/2013/10/21/the-10k-day-red-lodge-edition/
I wondered if you guys had a major crisis. I’ve been stuck seeing the same page since November 8th. Clicked the reload button a few minutes ago in FireFox 25.01 and Voila! Fresh news!
Phil, apparently the local browser picks up the settings and may keep them for a while. To totally refresh, use the question mark trick: http://www.wildsnow.com?foo=true
Please let me know how it goes over the next few days.
All, what’s funny is we still had major traffic over past few weeks, so I think most people were getting a refresh one way or another. I sure was, which is why I didn’t notice caching behavior. At any rate, it should be fixed now, but use the foo trick to force your browser to load new settings. Lou
Still messed up. First time I have noticed. Windows explorer, opened up to Louie’s old post. I had checked your site from elsewhere, or I would have just thought that you had no new content. Cleared browser history and the boot mod popped right up.
As of today Chrome/Windows7 is only showing me the 11/8 post and older. using IE on the same computer I’m able to see the current post
No problems here. I am on an IPad with latest OS. Thank you Wildsnow for all the educational posts and awesome pictures and Louie’s rad videos!
All good here on an old MacBook running 10.6.
Keep up the good work and I look forward to visiting here all through the winter!
Love from Cham!
Some problem on Google Chrome. Homepage is 4 days old. No refresh.
No problem with Explorer.
Mobile version on Google for Android doesn’t work.. it allows the web version only. This homepage is updated.
I feel sick, if I dont’ get my daily dose of wildsnow. 😉
Massimo, no Mobile version for now. Most people don’t need/use it, is turned off.
Unrelated to issues with cache.
Chrome does have very robust (annoying) caching. To bust it, browse to WildSnow using a comment appended to URL, like this:
http://www.wildsnow.com?foo=true
Let me know how that goes Massimo! Apologies for any hassles. I had no idea our caching experiments would be so sticky.
Should make website faster and more reliable eventually, so worth it.
Lou
Bummer. My HTC phone just keeps going back to Louie’s boot review.
What a pain. I’ll have to find another ski website to look at. This one ain’tworkin
Sorry about that Zach. I work really hard on the back end, and it’s not always perfect. Lou
Recently had this caching problem again! Probably my fault due to some work I was doing. If anyone has more trouble let me know here or via email, or via FB. Lou
Anyone using our comment notification system, Microsoft (Hotmail) is blocking the IP we use to email your notifications. Am attempting to fix, but it’s Microsoft, so who knows how long it’ll be for the fix, if ever. I’ll keep watching, if necessary we’ll do something else to fix. Apologies from me if you’ve been wondering why you’re not getting any notifications.
Further, if you don’t like getting your comment notifications, please don’t mark the emails as “Junk” in Outlook or Gmail as doing so may trigger their systems to block our IP. Instead, just contact me and I’ll remove you from the notifications system.
Lou