[Mediawiki-l] Image caching on File: pages... any workaround?

[Frederick Grose]

On Tue, Sep 6, 2011 at 10:05 AM, Daniel Barrett <danb at vistaprint.com> wrote:

> The most frequent problem on our wiki (MediaWiki 1.17.0) involves
> re-uploads of images, where users are fooled by browser caching:
>
> 1.      A user uploads a modified version of an existing image
> (File:Foobar.jpg)
> 2.      After the upload, user views File:Foobar.jpg but the old image is
> still showing.
> 3.      User tries uploading 10 more times. The old image is still showing.
> 4.      User calls tech support, who says, "press ctrl-F5 to refresh your
> browser."
> 5.      User presses ctrl-F5 and the new image shows up.
>
> Obviously the problem is due to browser caching. Is there any way for the
> MediaWiki software to prevent this problem from happening and show only
> uncached images on File:Foobar.jpg? The average user doesn't know anything
> about browser caching.
>
> (We already added a note to the Upload page that explains the problem.
> People don't notice the note - their attention is focused on uploading their
> image.)
>

Perhaps a more graphic advisory with a large button link with  the
?action=purge modifier behind it would have more success?
http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:File_cache#Expiration

       --Fred


> Thanks,
> DanB