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Web access at Lincoln

International Web Access- The Tutorial

Step Seven - Efficient use of the Web

1. What is the cache?
2. How can I save time and money?
   • To web or not to web?
   • Easy online tricks
   • More advanced tricks

What is the cache?

When a webpage is visited by someone at Lincoln, a copy of that page is kept on a server (called the cache) for the next 2 months. If you access a page that is already in the cache, you will not be charged for it. You can't tell if the page is already in the cache so it is sometimes just luck that will save you money but keep it in mind while you are searching and try not to use reload too often, or get large files that are not necessary, especially if they are files no-one else is likely to have accessed, if you want to save money.

How can I save time and money?

To web or not to web
Ask yourself ...Is the web the best place to look for this information? Though it sounds really cool to say you got it off the Web, it might cost you lots more time and money and be a hassle to save and print. Especially if that same or better information is in the library or in a library database for free. If you don't know, ask the librarians.They'll know the best sources, web or non web.

Easy online tricks

• Decide, before you start, not to try and save everything you find!
• Press STOP to stop a page as soon as you see it is not what you wanted
• Use the RELOAD as little as you can ( reload does not use the cache copy!)
• Use well-regarded and popular links that others will already have visited
• Use Go to get to a page you visited a few links back, rather than BACK BACK etc
• Check how long a page is before you try to print it
• Look at a link's URL before you click on it
• Large corporations like CNN have huge websites
  so don't use them for information easily available elsewhere
• Avoid any audio, video or software files

More advanced tricks

• Turn off Auto Load Images in the Options menu.
• Watch out for pages that load an extra Netscape window (eg with advertising in it)
• If you see a new link to a page you visited earlier, use Go to get it, not the new link.
• Don't view a link you want, just save it by clicking on right mouse button and Save Link As

1. How can Lincoln's cache system save students money?

2. Name two easy online tricks that save time and money