4 things to try if a website won't load
Nothing can throw off your surfing groove more than a website that won’t load. You stare at the blank, white wall of your screen, wondering, “Is that it?” Luckily, there are a few different ways you can try to make the website cooperate.
Sometimes, websites won’t load due to a problem with your system. Tap or click here to find out if a website has crashed due to an error on your end. That’s not always the case, though.
You can try a few different methods when a website still won’t load. Here are four ways to transcend the dreaded “404” message and get to the content you want to see.
1. Try Down Detector
Sometimes, the problem is with the website itself. To see who’s at fault for a stubborn webpage, head to Downdetector. This site provides real-time outage monitoring.
When a web service gives you issues, input its name into Downdetector’s search bar. You’ll find out whether their services are down.
Downdetecor also shows a chart of outage reports and a collection of social media posts from users complaining about an outage. This site keeps its finger on the pulse of internet outages. Make sure to bookmark it for help the next time a site won’t load on your browser.
2. Clear your cache
Google Cache is an excellent way to quickly view the page you want. To access it, enter the name of the site or the specific page you want to load into the search engine. Once you find the result on the search page, head to the right of it and click on the three vertical dots to the side.
Click that, and a new box pops up. At the bottom, you’ll see an option called Cached. Click it.
Wayback Machine will now fact-check archived webpages
Fact-checking has become one of the most popular ways to fight disinformation online. You can see it in action on sites like Facebook and Twitter, where certain posts now come attached with annotations for context.
Some believe these moves are a form of censorship by social media companies. Like health professionals, others say it’s the best way to stop disinformation from going viral and harming people. Tap or click here to see how Facebook blocked the spread of a viral COVID-19 conspiracy theory.
5 video sites you'll like more than YouTube
YouTube is the undisputed king of video-sharing platforms, but not everyone is on board with its brand of hosting and data collection. With growing scandals and moderation issues on YouTube’s part, many video-lovers are scrambling for alternative platforms to enjoy the content they crave. Thankfully, YouTube isn’t the only streaming video site on the web. A range of viable competitors exist, each with their own pros and cons that can easily satisfy YouTube expats hungry for fun, new material.