The real update date

Now, there's a related problem with all this. The page may be cached at any of several places:

• The Webhost.
• A relaying computer that's in the hop path.
• Your ISP.
• Your modem (cable or phone modem).
• Your router.
• Your browser.

And a simple browser refresh won't always update the page. Normally, a page is cached unless there's a new call to the server for that page. In such a case, the server will push that page through the relaying computers along the hop path and through your ISP to your computer.

If you are sure the page has changed but can't see the changes (Website developers run into this all the time):

• First try closing all of your browser windows. Then, after a few seconds, open a new browser window.
• If you still don't see the changes, empty your browser cache.
• If you still don't see the changes, shut off your router and then your modem. Close all browser windows, open a new one, clear the cache. Wait 10 minutes. Turn your modem on, then after it connects turn your router on. After your router is propagating data, open a browser window.

If that doesn't work, your ISP may have cached the page and you'll just have to wait until they refresh their cache. This should not be longer than a few hours. If it is, you need a new ISP.

Here's a tangentially related discussion. What if you're on a manufacturer's Website and can't find the information you need? So many of these Websites are designed without the user in mind that it's truly amazing. Some are well-designed and you can find what you want. But what about the others? Suppose you need:

• Product manual.
• Software driver.
• Installation instructions.
• Replacement part.
• Troubleshooting information.

How the heck can you find this on most manufacturer sites or vendor sites? The navigation drives you around in circles, and the search function says "No results found." How do you find what you're looking for?

The answer is leave that site and use Google. Because most Webmasters submit a sitemap to Google, even items they make impossible to find on their own sites show up in a Google search.

When searching, though, make sure you use words that pertain exactly to what you're looking for with the most germane word first. Leave out words that don't define anything (e.g. articles such as "the"). Generally, the taxonomy should be in this order manufacturer name, model number, item.

• Thus: ACME Model X manual
• Not: the manual for Model X by ACME.

What about searching on your hard drive? Use a similar taxonomy, but it won't work unless you are making a habit of saving with good filenames. Think in terms of how you'd identify the item so it's unique. One good technique is to put the date at the end of a document. Note that dates on a computer are ALWAYS in the format YYYY-MM-DD. That is, 2011-12-17. This puts the most significant digits first, facilitating logical sorting. When writing a date for humans, use the format DD-MMM-YYYY to avoid confusion.

• Thus: 17DEC2011
• Not: 12-17-2011.

Not everyone sees totally numerical dates the same way. Most people in the world would read 11-12-2011 as 11 December 2011, not November 12, 2011. To be clear, be explicit.

Now, regarding that searching again. If you organize your file structure intelligently, you will seldom need to use a search function to find anything on your computer. Save files with this goal in mind, specifying where a file goes rather than letting it save to some unknown location.

You should have a separate drive with your data, and programs/operating system on the other drive. But if all your stuff is on one drive, then have a folder 0data as the root location for all of your data folders. And build a sensible structure in there as if you're setting up a paper filing system.