For your use of this site (ASCLS.ORG) you need to clear your browser cache because we have just deployed a brand new website. If you visit this site frequently, or are a Consumer Panel member then chances are good that you are going to have a cached version of the old website still in your browser on your computer. If you attempt to respond to questions or use some of the Consumer Panel (POC member areas) you will be attempting to submit to our new website using data and files from the old website which can lead to possible issues as well as frustration for our valued members.
Fortunately, clearing your computer's browser cache is a very simple procedure which you can do in minutes!
We're also looking at some options to optimize our caching procedures to improve this part of the website in the future.
What is a browser cache?
The browser cache is a temporary storage location on your computer for files downloaded by your browser to display websites. Files that are cached locally include any documents that make up a website, such as html files, CSS style sheets, JavaScript scripts, as well as graphic images and other multimedia content.
When you revisit a website, the browser checks which content was updated in the meantime and only downloads updated files or what is not already stored in the cache. This reduces bandwidth usage on both the user and server side and allows the page to load faster. Hence, the cache is especially useful when you have a slow or limited Internet connection. Caching is a web industry best practice that is commonly used to speed up website load times. Not taking advantage of caching is a serious no-no in this day and age.
Why do I need to clear the cache?
In general its a good idea to clear the cache because over time it can get quite large and take up a lot of space on your hard drive, filled with data from websites you will never visit again. While you can limit how large it can get, it is still useful to occasionally clear it to fix problems and speed things up again.