Browser Caching Debate

Commenters debate whether existing browser and HTTP caching mechanisms, like Cache-Control headers and ETags, sufficiently solve web performance issues such as page reloads and resource loading, often questioning the need for alternative approaches.

📉 Falling 0.4x Web Development
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#3614
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Keywords

RAM XDG e.g nextjs.org HOME FE DNS C10K FS fastly.com cache caching cached browser content headers http fetch css files

Sample Comments

cedias Nov 28, 2013 View on HN

isn't that what's browser cache is for ?

danjordan Jan 12, 2016 View on HN

Does this have any negative effects on browser caching?

twinturbo Jul 20, 2012 View on HN

Agree. Take advantage of HTTP caching.

shawnz May 16, 2019 View on HN

Doesn't every kind of web resource caching already let you do that?

cheez Mar 1, 2011 View on HN

Someone please explain to me why just using the browser cache isn't enough?

goatlover May 8, 2020 View on HN

Aren't those usually cached? Page reloads these days are fast.

nkuttler Nov 30, 2013 View on HN

Considering that browsers have caches this isn't a huuuge issue.

zachrose Jun 6, 2017 View on HN

Or why can't this problem be solved with HTTP caching headers and a browser that Does the Right Thing?

benob Nov 17, 2025 View on HN

Why doesn't this apply to any kind of cached content?

DyslexicAtheist Jan 20, 2021 View on HN

I suppose given their claims, a caching strategy would be beside the point :)