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Chrome Now Reloads Pages 28% Faster (techcrunch.com)

Google has announced that it has worked with Facebook and Mozilla to make page reloads in Chrome for desktop and mobile significantly faster. According to Google's data, reloading sites with the latest version of Chrome should now be about 28 percent faster. From a report: Typically, when you reload a page, the browser ends up making hundreds of network requests just to see if the images and other resources it cached the first time you went to a site are still valid. As Google engineer Takashi Toyoshima notes in today's announcement, users typically reload pages because they either look broken or because the content looks like it should have been updated (think old-school live blogs). He argues that when browser developers first added this feature, it was mostly because broken pages were common. Today, users mostly reload pages because the content of a site seems stale.

78 of 124 comments (clear)

  1. Umm, no... usually the page is broken. by zephvark · · Score: 3, Informative

    I reload pages because they are broken, generally due to an excess of advertising. Yes, I could filter out advertising but, I often get paid for having it there. Not that I look at it.

    1. Re:Umm, no... usually the page is broken. by gnick · · Score: 5, Funny

      I reload the page to see if I've gotten any replies to my /. posts since my last refresh.

      I know how sad that is.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    2. Re:Umm, no... usually the page is broken. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You pretty much have to look at it since most advertising is a virus, popping up with a new tab fullscreened saying your computer has been taken over.

      They can't pay me enough money to not block ads.

    3. Re:Umm, no... usually the page is broken. by arth1 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I reload pages because they are broken, generally due to an excess of advertising.

      Yes, broken javascript in an ad is probably the #1 reason why I reload pages. At least I have a chance to get a different ad (which may also be broken, in a different way).

      The #2 reason is brain dead javascript code that doesn't account for things occurring out of order due to dropped packets and retransmits. Which is becoming more of a problem as internet provider drop more packets for content providers that don't pay the bridge troll.

    4. Re:Umm, no... usually the page is broken. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I mostly see broken pages when some bad JS shits the bed. Pages are developed like applications and they fall over badly when one of their "modules" stops working or returns an unexpected result.

      Try blocking social media sites and some unrelated sites just die because they expect their social media widgets/connectors to work.

    5. Re: Umm, no... usually the page is broken. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Now with 28% faster spyware.

    6. Re:Umm, no... usually the page is broken. by sycodon · · Score: 5, Funny

      I reload the page because the pornhub video froze up.

      --
      When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
    7. Re:Umm, no... usually the page is broken. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      But it's man on donkey porn...

    8. Re:Umm, no... usually the page is broken. by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      My friends think I'm popular because I set up a custom notification sound for Slashdot reply notification emails.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    9. Re:Umm, no... usually the page is broken. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      My privilege is huge.

      And growing bigger the more I think about your privilege.

    10. Re:Umm, no... usually the page is broken. by sycodon · · Score: 1

      I'm watching THEIR fucking privileged.

      --
      When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
    11. Re:Umm, no... usually the page is broken. by mspohr · · Score: 1

      I've found that the Mercury Reader extension effectively removes ads and defeats the "Please unblock ads on our special site" message.

      --
      I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
    12. Re:Umm, no... usually the page is broken. by antdude · · Score: 1

      Um, /. can notify you of new replies.

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    13. Re:Umm, no... usually the page is broken. by hackwrench · · Score: 1
    14. Re:Umm, no... usually the page is broken. by allo · · Score: 1

      Who needs to watch porn obviously does not have a fucking-privilege.

  2. Not all pages by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Chrome now reloads Facebook pages up to 28% faster. The rest of the web won't see the benefit.

    1. Re:Not all pages by freeze128 · · Score: 4, Funny

      In other news, Chrome now uses 12% more RAM.

    2. Re:Not all pages by arth1 · · Score: 2

      In other news, Chrome now uses 12% more RAM.

      In other words, going from 90% to 102%?

    3. Re: Not all pages by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      moz://a

    4. Re: Not all pages by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 1

      moz://a

      Hmm... I tried that, but Firefox reported:

      (i) The address wasn’t understood

      Firefox doesn’t know how to open this address, because one of the following protocols (moz) isn’t associated with any program or is not allowed in this context.

      • You might need to install other software to open this address.

      [ Try Again ]

      --
      It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
    5. Re: Not all pages by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Your inability to math has given me a tumor. Thanks. Just fucking thanks.

    6. Re:Not all pages by swillden · · Score: 1

      Chrome now reloads Facebook pages up to 28% faster. The rest of the web won't see the benefit.

      That's not what the article says. What it says is:

      Facebook, just like other pages, says its pages now reload 28 percent faster, too

      As for how this feat is accomplished (would have been nice if that was in the summary), what now happens is that when you hit "reload" the browser only reloads the main page. It obviously has to load any resources requested by the new version of the page that weren't requested by the previous version, but it doesn't reload resources that were already loaded for the previous version.

      --
      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
    7. Re:Not all pages by gravewax · · Score: 1

      So basically if the reason for you reloading was because of porked resources on the page then Chrome now just ignores your request for a reload.

    8. Re:Not all pages by arth1 · · Score: 1

      Why would I want to upgrade?

      % free -h
                    total used free shared buff/cache available
      Mem: 503M 130M 22M 72K 350M 358M
      Swap: 2.9G 51M 2.9G

    9. Re: Not all pages by allo · · Score: 1

      try about:mozilla

    10. Re: Not all pages by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 1

      try about:mozilla

      I know.. I was just commenting on how ridiculous the new name is. :-)

      --
      It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  3. Efficiency by doom · · Score: 1

    Hm perhaps we could use similar techniques to avoid making those hundreds of network connections in the first place...

    1. Re:Efficiency by jellomizer · · Score: 2

      That isn't how http works. Send the data and disconnect.
      We should have a better protocol that deals with Web 2.0 content. But the protocol wouldn't be http

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    2. Re:Efficiency by doom · · Score: 1

      What I'm getting at is the solution to Web 2.0 content might be Web 1.0 content.

      Or technical tricks to emulate Web 1.0 content.

      (I bet google has the chops to come up with a really killer ad blocker.)

    3. Re:Efficiency by tepples · · Score: 2

      HTTP has supported keep-alive and pipelining since 1.1, the first to make support for name-based virtual hosts mandatory.

    4. Re:Efficiency by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Depends how you classify HTTP, but the protocol already exists. HTTP/2 has been around for a while and is gaining traction: https://http2.github.io/faq/

      I was sceptical at first (binary? WTF?) but it's actually pretty good.

    5. Re:Efficiency by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      (I bet google has the chops to come up with a really killer ad blocker.)

      Yeah, but one of the earlier ways they went evil was to buy doubleclick.net.

    6. Re:Efficiency by ilsaloving · · Score: 1

      If todays average website wasn't a steaming shitshow, then it wouldn't be necessary.

      But they are, so we do. *shrug*

    7. Re:Efficiency by epyT-R · · Score: 1

      ..but then providers wouldn't have control over every aspect of use.. That's a big no no these days. Being able to load an old version to restore functionality? That's piracy! Not selling useage data to advertisers (or the state)? That's leaving money on the table!

    8. Re:Efficiency by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      HTTP 1.0? probably not
      HTTP 1.1? Yeah, you can keep the connection open and send requests before the response comes back
      HTTP 2.0? Yes.

    9. Re:Efficiency by KingMotley · · Score: 1

      We could even call it HTTP/2.0. Or I guess that is what we called it.

    10. Re:Efficiency by unrtst · · Score: 1

      Neither of those solve the issue of checking the status of 100's of elements. They help, but each check still needs to be done, and they can't be done completely parallel (sane connection count limits on servers limit that, and so browsers only do N parallel requests, each keepalive'd).

      They have simply decided not to check any of those other elements. Ignoring 100's of elements for a 28% speedup seems like bad math to me. They're only reloading 1 in 100's of elements, so that should be a 100x speedup (10000% speedup?)... that might be worth it, but not for just 28% faster.

    11. Re:Efficiency by unrtst · · Score: 1

      This thread keeps flying off on tangents!

      doom said, "Hm perhaps we could use similar techniques to avoid making those hundreds of network connections in the first place..." ... I don't really know what he's getting at here. I took it as a joke - don't get all the advertisments and crap to begin with, but maybe he meant HTTP2 style with one TCP connections and multiplexed requests.
      jellomizer stated that HTTP is, "Send the data and disconnect"
      tepples pointed out that, "HTTP has supported keep-alive and pipelining since 1.1"
      I noted that, "Neither of those solve the issue of checking the status of 100's of elements. They help ... but can't be done completely parallel ..."
      You said, "Doing them in parallel is bad. Doing them async concurrently is good." yada yada HTTP2.

      Under HTTP2, using a classic style reload of a page, there would still be 100's of requests sent - they'd just be multiplexed over the same TCP connection.
      Today, with keepalives and pipelining, the browser would open several connections, using them in parallel but sending requests in each in series. While HTTP2 may be slightly faster (though it will lose out on the benefit of talking to multiple load balanced servers), it's not going to solve the 100's of requests problem either. That problem is simply that there are 100's of requests.

  4. Butt out, Google. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I reload pages for a variety of reasons depending on what I am doing. I already have to drop into dev tools and chose from a variety of reload "flavors" to get some tasks done. If they must persist in deciding for me what I really want to do based on what other people "typically" want to do, at least make the option to express my actual goal more easy to access.

    Or, you know, GTFO with your over-engineered "solutions".

    1. Re:Butt out, Google. by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      If they must persist in deciding for me

      They're not deciding for you. They are giving *you* the option, and deciding for everyone else.

  5. Actual Summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Because it'd be awful if the summary actually summarized what was being done. From the article:

    To overcome this issue, the team simplified Chrome’s reload behavior and it now only validates the main resource. Facebook, just like other pages, says its pages now reload 28 percent faster, too, so the next time you want to check if your friends finally posted new pictures of their cute corgis to Facebook (and you are using the web app instead of the native FB app), you’ll now get the answer faster.

  6. TLDR by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    One liner description of the change...
    They made refresh 28% faster by having it no longer refresh.

  7. Ctrl-F5 by gQuigs · · Score: 2

    Guess it makes Ctrl-F5 even more useful...

    1. Re:Ctrl-F5 by umafuckit · · Score: 1

      Ctrl-F5 doesn't refresh the cache on a Mac. That's "Cmd (Apple) + Shift + R”

    2. Re:Ctrl-F5 by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 1

      >> I have a new Ma Book pro you insensitive clod. They replaced the F-keys for a touch bar.

      And the "C" key, too?

    3. Re:Ctrl-F5 by swillden · · Score: 1

      Ctrl-F5 doesn't refresh the cache on a Mac. That's "Cmd (Apple) + Shift + R”

      Or "Cmd (Apple) + R".

      --
      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
  8. So wait... by dgatwood · · Score: 1

    I'm hoping this article is either wrong or incomplete. Otherwise, won't this mean a significant increase in breakages? Suppose the main resource relies on two resources, one of which is in the cache, the other of which isn't. Those two resources implicitly depend on one another in some way (e.g. a new version of JavaScript code might require a new version of CSS, or else rendering would be wrong and vice-versa). If the browser validates only the main resource, then unless the URLs for the resources changed, there's now a mismatch. Worse, there's no way for the user to fix it, because reloading doesn't revalidate any of the other resources.

    It seems like revalidation of all subresources should happen if any of the following are true:

    • Any resource other than the main resource was loaded directly (as opposed to from the cache)
    • The list of subresources referenced by the main resource changed (adding, removing, or changing dependencies).

    Then again, I've had so much trouble with CloudFlare caching that I've started putting version numbers in every JS and CSS filename, and I use a server-side include to let me bump that version number site-wide every time I touch something in a backwards-incompatible way, so if other folks use the same approach, then maybe this doesn't matter?

    --

    Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    1. Re:So wait... by tepples · · Score: 1

      I've had so much trouble with CloudFlare caching that I've started putting version numbers in every JS and CSS filename

      Such a versioned URL scheme has in fact been the best practice for several years now, as it lets you use far-future Expires: dates to reduce bandwidth use by return visitors.

    2. Re: So wait... by loufoque · · Score: 1

      Just give new versions of your content unique names, and problem solved.

  9. Won't this break things? by lucasnate1 · · Score: 2

    From what I understand, this changes reload behavior so that reload doesn't completely reload a page. Won't this break the reload behavior when testing a page you're developing and/or when browsing pages that glitched temporarily? Would we end up with a "hold shift during reload" that all tech people will use instead?

    1. Re:Won't this break things? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Given how many problems I've encountered with aggressive or incorrect caching in Chrome (seriously, there are won't fix bugs listed because they interpret the RFCs differently to everyone else), I'm not sure how this differs from the current shitty behaviour? Awesome: more hacks and workarounds to get things to reload correctly because Chrome's developers crave speed over usability or RTFRFC.

      Y'know what speeds pages up massively? Blocking all the ads, tracking scripts, and other crap that gets downloaded. Faster load times, less CPU and memory usage, and a much more pleasant browsing experience.

    2. Re:Won't this break things? by viperidaenz · · Score: 2

      If you're doing web development, try opening the web development tools and turning off the browser cache. Press F12. On Chrome it's a checkbox called "Disable cache" under the "Network" tab. IE has a "Always refresh from server" option on their network page too.

  10. But... but... but... by QuietLagoon · · Score: 1

    Will the advertisers on the page see the additional hit?

  11. Seems like someone is reading a OS book... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    First a scheduler and now caching. What OS feature should come next?

    1. Re:Seems like someone is reading a OS book... by number6x · · Score: 1

      The next version of chrome will contains a complete implementation of emacs, which qualifies as an operating system.

      Although the emacs operating system needs a better editor.

  12. What does it have to do with Mozilla? by xfizik · · Score: 2

    So Mozilla helped Google make Chrome faster? It's not clear what Mozilla's role and benefit in all of this...

    1. Re:What does it have to do with Mozilla? by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

      Their tag line is "Internet for people, not profit"
      I wasn't aware it was "Lets shun the other browser makers and continue to fuck up Firefox"

    2. Re:What does it have to do with Mozilla? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      There's actual information at this link, as opposed to the glorified Chrome ad that was submitted: https://code.facebook.com/posts/557147474482256/this-browser-tweak-saved-60-of-requests-to-facebook

    3. Re:What does it have to do with Mozilla? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Firefox seems to have been doing this for a while. When I refresh a page in FF it doesn't usually reload big images, just the main HTML.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  13. Verified by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    I can confirm that doing nothing at all on a Facebook page takes 72% of your time.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  14. Not this again by WaffleMonster · · Score: 2

    Engineer A: Lets re-interpret intent to make it faster
    Engineer B: Lets re-interpret intent to make it current
    GOTO A

    The history of HTTP cache headers are filled with this same contention between different people trying to reinterpret the meaning of words to further their narrow agendas.

    This crap always ends with everyone having a headache without solving anything.

    If you want to make reload better try adding mechanisms to explicitly signal intent so it can explicitly be acted on rather than hacking shit to make it work better for *you* because you can.

    1. Re:Not this again by DamonHD · · Score: 1

      I don't think that that's entirely fair.

      Sometimes, only through extensive use in a huge variety of use cases, does it become clear that the previously-thought-simple 'cache for a bit' needs rather more nuance...

      Can this be cached only if public?

      What if a different language was requested the second time?

      What if different content encodings are acceptable to my next cache user?

      Can I continue to show a slightly stale copy for a while rather than failing completely, and if so how long?

      Can I see if the meaning of this page is unchanged and show it from cache, even if some unimportant aspects have changed (such as ads)?

      These are all real cases, and I've sweated over the code and HTTP headers to get them right, and it can make a real difference to perceived response and actual resources consumed.

      Rgds

      Damon

      --
      http://m.earth.org.uk/
  15. Re: Broken behaviour by loufoque · · Score: 1

    Web 2.0 stuff only works if you have a reliable low-latency high-bandwidth internet connection.
    Funny that they designed this shit for mobile...

  16. Here's an idea to cut down on requests by viperidaenz · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Add the ability to put an ETag in the HTML document along side the resources, so the browser doesn't have to make a conditional "if-none-match" request to check if it is stale.

    <img href="blah" etag="12345" />

    1. Re:Here's an idea to cut down on requests by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      <img href="blah?v=12345" />

      done.

  17. Re:Confusing summary. by unrtst · · Score: 2

    I feel like I read a book and somebody ripped out the last several chapters.

    Don't feel too bad. You won't find those in the article either. Here's the only sentence you missed:

    The team simplified Chrome’s reload behavior and it now only validates the main resource.

    IE. it used to reload 100's of page elements (eg. checking the etag of each), and now it only checks the main page.

    I occasionally find I need to do a SHIFT+Reload (or CTRL+SHIFT+R) to force reload of all elements. With this new "only reload main resource" feature, I sure hope they add a something similar to reproduce the old behavior because a full reload is MUCH more overhead than the current reloads, or provide an option to use the old behavior (hahaha, yeah right! modern app *adding* a setting/option!).

  18. Awesome! by jetten · · Score: 1

    Great now I get to the 6 minute long "Waiting for cache" message 28% faster!

  19. Nice but.. by Neuronwelder · · Score: 1

    Can you read 28% faster??

  20. that it has worked with Facebook by frovingslosh · · Score: 1

    I'm not a Facebook member. I never will be. Yet when I load pages from almost anywhere on the web I can detect background traffic to Facebook (unless I explicitly block traffic to Facebook in my HOSTS file). Facebook has absolutely no right to know what I'm doing on sites as diverse as my local TV station, Slashdot and Linux support sites, yet that traffic is considerable and can't help but affect my Internet performance. I bet they could have made Chrome work even faster if they blocked traffic to Facebook completely or at least gave users the option to not send information to Facebook.

    --
    I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
    1. Re:that it has worked with Facebook by TranquilVoid · · Score: 1

      Facebook has absolutely no right to know what I'm doing on sites

      I'm sure you know this, but what's happening is that these sites you visit have an agreement with Facebook, and write/use code to share this information. They certainly have a right to do this (not that I like it, and in fact use an Adblock filter to strip Facebook from all non-Facebook sites).

  21. Re:Out of memory by hackwrench · · Score: 1

    https://support.microsoft.com/...
    Out of memory problems are because Microsoft is stupid. I don't know what Microsoft should really be doing but using the information at that link helped lots.

  22. Re:Hosts files make any browser TONS faster by Ash-Fox · · Score: 1

    Cease and desist these criminal activities, APK. You already know you are in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and your persistence in this is involving us in your criminal acitivies along with damaging Slashdot as they constantly make the lameness filter more overbearing to deal with your posts.

    --
    Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
  23. Re:Fastest & most efficient adblocker? by Ash-Fox · · Score: 1

    Cease and desist these criminal activities, APK. You already know you are in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and your persistence in this is involving us in your criminal acitivies along with damaging Slashdot as they constantly make the lameness filter more overbearing to deal with your spam.

    --
    Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
  24. Re:Hosts files make any browser TONS faster by bioteq · · Score: 1

    My God, I cannot wait until the day we all read on Slashdot (no doubt, it will be posted on the front page, I assure you!)

    "Alex, the one known as the "Super Fag" APK, has been found dead today in his home from an apparent intestines puncture. It would seem Mr APK was forcing what is known as a 'fake horse cock' up his rectum, which resulted in his colon and intestines being perforated and, ultimately, causing him to bleed out. He shall be missed greatly in this world as is known as "THE BEST SOFTWARE WRITER EVER" due to his AMAZING invention KNOWN AS THE HOST FILE. Who will ever take up his mantle now?

    More on this horrific story at 11!"

    I'll have you all now though, be careful using his "WaReZ" that he's pushing. Be sure to step through some IDA or something else, first. You'll be shocked when you find out what his software is doing behind the scene. Talk about 'soul'd out! (as he says)'

  25. Re:Hosts files make any browser TONS faster by bioteq · · Score: 1

    I don't care what malwarebytes said or some retarded online virus scanner. I've seen your code and I've seen what you're doing. You may want to come clean, or I'll start releasing it.

    And I'm not trolling you. I also have quite a nice life, Thank you very much. I, unlike you, don't have to spam Slashdot all day like you to feel 'wanted' (Hint: No one likes you.)

    You put people down when you start to feel inadequate. Your mental illness is so blatantly obvious that it hurts. Why don't you try posting as a real account for once, loser. Or did mommy not breastfeed you enough?

  26. Re:Hosts files make any browser TONS faster by bioteq · · Score: 1

    P.s. Fake name? Says the little fat retard hiding behind the AC name.

    Pitiful attempt, Alex.

    My name is Mike. I have no need to hide my name. I actually have a set of balls that work, unlike you.

  27. firefox by Lehk228 · · Score: 1

    so they have been doing a shift-refresh for every refresh?

    --
    Snowden and Manning are heroes.
  28. And Facebook seems to be an a*hole for browsers by allo · · Score: 1

    The original article quotes a facebook article, which speaks about reducing requests by using cache with long expire headers.

    Their approach: expire header for one year, filename with a content hash.
    This means, facebook spams your browser cache with data, which will never be accessed again after they changed it, just to reduce the number of "if-modified" requests.