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I noticed several times now, that, when I have a tag filter open, I get a bar telling me that new questions have arrived (example would be https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/c%2b%2b but it doesn't really matter, because this behaviour is the same for other tags as well).

When you click on that bar, the questions appear in the list. But when I hit the refresh button on the browser, those questions are suddenly gone. When I hit the refresh button a littler bit later again, the questions are back in the list.

Is this a bug or a problem with cache timing in the browser (using Firefox)?

I noticed that, when I hit refresh several times, there seem to be some delay included, probalby to avoid server strain. Might be a side effect of this.

update

I just tested this on Meta and there this does not happen. So it seems only on SO.

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That is not a bug. That is .

You get live notifications through the websockets. When you refresh the page you get a cached result that is not as up-to-date as the "live-stream".

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  • And why is this not the same on meta?
    – Devolus
    Dec 11, 2013 at 12:42
  • It is the same. Meta is just not that heavily cached.
    – juergen d
    Dec 11, 2013 at 12:43
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    @Devolus caching is timing dependent; there isn't anything particularly different on meta Dec 11, 2013 at 12:43
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    @Devolus in particular, when you refresh on meta it is probably a cache miss, so does actual work and gets the fresh data; on SO, you are likely to be looking at the same stuff as others, so get a cache hit, reusing existing data Dec 11, 2013 at 12:44
  • @MarcGravell, but there is a difference, because on meta I don't see this effect. An explanation might be juergens comment.
    – Devolus
    Dec 11, 2013 at 12:44
  • @Devolus which is why I already added more detail Dec 11, 2013 at 12:45
  • @MarcGravell I didn't know you were using cache miss/hit technique, maybe worth adding that to the big detailed post about caching? On quick and slower look, couldn't find it mentioned in there. Dec 11, 2013 at 12:46
  • @ShaWizDowArd on the list-by-tag pages? we cache the bejeezus out of that Dec 11, 2013 at 12:47

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