Situation:

• web cache service is not transparent, but most of the time it is not visible to the public (exceptions discussed below)
• people do not understand caching basics
• people do not know about web cache server existance and do not know about benefits it gives
• conclusion: people won't use web cache without the effort of cache admin

The way to change it:

• in closed environment and small organizations it is administrative decision or gentleman's agreement
• in dispersed environment containing many LAN's and independent organizations, such as academic institutions or on MAN level the way is pretty old: advertising

• we gave an offer to people to put "Cache Now" button on their web pages (1 Apr 1997)
• we offered everyone who put the button on own page placing on our link list

Using this simple trick we noticed 200% increased traffic through the cache servers during three weeks. Advertising looks effective in our environment.

This is pretty hard, because:

• if you setup the cache server, you could get between ISP and client, so some client expectations and requirements and demand go to you instead of ISP
• people trust more buggy software from MONT than the cache so you should expect any flame from anywhere anytime something goes wrong or is not compatible with user's imaginations
• the only case cache is visible to the clients is when it fails :-(

So:

• any malfunction remaining longer than lightning means customer loss
• any bug in software also means you're loosing customers
• f something goes wrong, everyone's losing: the customer and the server administrator

ADVERTISING ISSUES:

• until we have caching fully transparent and built into router we need advertising
• advertising is effective today and tomorrow, because it convinces people to make local servers in small institutions, programmers to make their software (browsers, ftp clients) cache-aware and equipment manufacturers to put cache software onboard
• we should advertise web caching in local society, among the programmers to make more clients cache-cooperative
• we should gather the data on advertising for further usage

SERVICE ISSUES:

• web caching server is not self-propelled, it requires:
• proffesional approach such as dedicated crew
• and proffesional care 24h/7d
• it is recommended to build redundant installations such as web cache server clusters