Browser back button does not always work

[DF96]

In the last few weeks I have noticed a change of behaviour here. Clicking the Back button does not always send me back. This is especially when trying to return from a forum area back to the forum list. Using Firefox.

If I look at the dropdown list from the Back button I sometimes find that the page I am trying to leave is repeated. I assume this means that the website has rewritten my history or path to the current page. So I have gone from page X to page Y, and expect to see XY with Y as current so one Back click should put me on X again. Instead I see XYY, with the second Y as current so one Back click puts me on Y again. Two quick clicks may sometimes work, sometimes not.

 

[infernal]

You lost me on the XY thing.
Use Home > Forums > Site > Forum Problems
to navigate between threads.
Use back-button to go back to previous page on thread. That is how browsers work nowdays.

 

[DF96]

'Back' should take me back: that is what 'back' means. Mostly it does; sometimes it doesn't - that is how some browsers work with some websites some of the time nowadays. The "XY thing" was an attempt to clarify my meaning.

 

[Michael Bean]

Have you tried simply clearing your browser cache? Might be worth a try.

Mike

 

[DF96]

I don't think it is a cache issue, but a history issue. Something is occasionally telling the browser that the page I was previously on is the same as the page I am now on. Websites sometimes do this deliberately - although why they want to annoy visitors is beyond me. A page which auto-updates itself can sometimes do this, although in this case it would be logical for 'back' to take me back to the previous version of the page but this rarely happens.

 

[AllenB]

I've noticed it too. Sometimes I'll click back and I'll see the page I expect then choose another only to find I'm offline. Before when I was offline all page movements would result in a browser message.

Downside, I'm now forever clicking refresh just to make sure. Upside, after typing a long post and almost losing it, I can eventually find it again somewhere. Also better recovery from a power failure.