ancestry slow?

[Braindead]

I have my browser set to clear my cache each time I close it, perhaps that helps in keeping Ancestry running quickly for me.

[Nick29]

I think that could actually make it slower.  The browser cache contains elements of web pages that the browser can re-use, to save downloading them over and over again - like, for example, the RootsChat picture in the top left of the screen.  The browser 'knows' that it doesn't have to download that every time you re-load a page, so it gets it from the cache.  If you clear the cache, the browser has to load it again from the internet.

[Redroger]

So Nick, Are you saying in effect that by clearing the cache we are "As bad burned as scalded"?

[Nick29]

It depends which cache you're talking about.   There are lots of caches in a computer.  Clear out the wrong one, and you could end up worse.  You can inspect the contents of the browser cache - inside you'll find lots of 'bits' of web pages.

[Redroger]

Thanks Nick for the tip.

[Braindead]

I think that could actually make it slower. 

Regardless of that, I don't have any problems with the speed of Ancestry. With today's broadband speeds and web design, pages should load quickly without information in the cache.

I mentioned my settings to give people another option to try to see if they can address their problems accessing Ancestry at a reasonable speed. If Ancestry isn't working for people, it must be worth them trying something else.

[Nick29]

'Today's broadband speeds' in the UK can be anything from 448kbps to 100Mbps.   I'm sure you won't need a browser cache at the upper end of the scale 

I use Ancestry fairly regularly, and it seems to slow down and speed up due to a factor which affects lots of other sites - server loading.  Ancestry are lucky, because they have members all over the world, all on different time zones, so they can split the load somewhat, but that won't remove the problem entirely.  Last year, when we had a particularly cold winter, Ancestry was visibly slower, because people couldn't get out of the house much, so they turned to their hobbies instead.

[Wharfrat]

The FamilySearch org site is also slow.

Same here! I bet everyone is fed up with Ancestry, and is doing stuff on FamilySearch instead. I know I was!

[Redroger]

Does that account for the reported slowness on that site I wonder?