On Wednesday, September 10, 2003, at 09:07  AM, Monthenor wrote:

> [Mr. Server Administrator Man], yesterday I was updating the new index
> files for GerbilMechs and noticed something weird. Halfway through the
> process, the links to gerbilmechs.com/Comic/index.html stopped working.
> This is mostly a problem from the front page, although it happens
> *occasionally* from the up-arrow on the comics. To make it just that much
> more irritating, typing gerbilmechs.com/Comic/index.html into the address
> bar brings up a Mozilla alert that the file couldn't be found. NOT a 404
> page, but an error box. However, typing in gerbilmechs.com/Comic will get
> you to /Comic/index.html just fine.
> 
> I thought it was just my Windows box being insolent until a few minutes
> ago, when [Pezchik] messaged me with the same problem.

> Also, just for added weirdness, the site appears to work fine in IE,
> Safari, and the Macintosh version of Mozilla. So I guess my question is:
> what happened that broke the link for only the Windows version of Mozilla?
> 
> [Monty]

It has to be a caching issue; it worked fine on my work machine, and I'm not 
in the habit of reading GM on there. This means it is a client issue, not 
server-side.  I know this because it works on some clients and not others.  
Especially since Mozilla is split on it; the Windows and Mac versions aren't 
that far apart on the implementation of HTTP; i.e., they're probably identical.  
;-)

I had the same problems when Monty first changed the pages to hide all the old 
posts.  The Mozilla error box instead of a 404 is the telltale sign.  You have 
to clear your cache in the Preferences and quit Mozilla; if that doesn't work, 
try the "Every time I view the page" option (controls when the cache is 
compared to the live page).

If you poke it hard enough Mozilla will listen... but since its caching is 
militant, as I've said countless times before, you have to poke it -hard-.

And now is the time in the email where I point and laugh at Monty.  
*point* *cackle*

Morgion