Hi Will,

I recently updated my image handlers to implement client caching (by adding an Expires time to the response) and it massively improves performance and boosts the page speed in YSlow and Google PageSpeed in FireBug.

It would be nice if this could make it into your profilepic.ashx handler too so I could switch - it's only a few lines of code and is a massive performance boost.

context.Response.Cache.SetExpires (DateTime.Now.Add(timespan)); context.Response.Cache.SetCacheability(HttpCacheability.Public);
context.Response.Cache.SetValidUntilExpires(false);

Here are some threads that were useful:

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/aspne...SPNET.aspx
http://dotnetslackers.com/articles/...P-NET.aspx  (also sets a disk cache)
http://www.furrygoat.com/2003/04/21...-and-etag/       (example of how to check and set etag)
http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/ResourceCache       (example of how to check and set etag and see if the image has changed)

Rodney,
Our profile picture handler already handles caching

Is it turned on on this site or how do you configure it?

http://www.activemodules.com/deskto...&h=75&w=75

does not show the Expires in the response headers (I am using Firebug/Yslow) and the browser is requesting it each time?

I'll check again when I get back in town. We did all testing using fiddler. When used in the the context of a page request you see that it was being chard properly.

Ok - even when I do a YSlow on this member list page (http://www.activesocial.com/members.aspx) they are all flagged as missing the Expires tag, but that's cool if you aware of it, thanks (my page scores are horrific on PokerDIY and trying to make some performance gains)

I checked AS 1.7.1 and can confirm that this has been fixed - thanks.

Unfortunately we are seeing too many support tickets about profile pictures not being updated. AS 1.7.2 will turn the image caching off by default but also include an option to turn it back on.

Ok, thats sounds fine, thanks.

Out of interest: this made a massive difference to my YSlow score on the PokerDIY homepage - on 1.6.1 it was 65 (it used to be 50 before I went on my crusade - now on 1.7.2 it has jumped automatically to 70 with the user pic caching - I suppose a lot of people didn't even know about it, but it's good!

Member list views are a lot faster on the 2nd hit (and much better Yslow score). With regards to users complaining about caching images - I think user expectation control is required here - more blurb on how to hard-refresh their browser on the image edit page etc. the benefits are far greater IMHO.

I have actually gone to the step of adding the blurb on doing a reload on the profilepic page.

Where is the caching setting located?  I didn't see it in the control panel.  I am using 1.8.2 and it appears that my profile pic images are being cached.  Just curious to see what my setting is....