IT Queries: Computer problems answered

Val asks;

1) If I open a webpage and leave it open without doing anything on it am i still using megabytes?

2)If am on a website steaming a video and I pause it am I still using megabytes?

The answer is both questions is “probably”.

In the case of the web page, many sites have a feature called auto-refresh, where the page reloads itself every few minutes to either show updated information or in an attempt to fool advertisers into thinking more people have visited it.

With online videos, the reason it slightly different. To make viewing more pleasant, most online viewers use a method called buffering where the next few minutes are stored on the computer. Usually when you pause a video, the buffering continues so the download continues.

If you’re concerned about the amount of data you’re using, then it’s best to shut down your web browser when you aren’t surfing the Inter.

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