Posted On: Thursday - October 8th 2020 6:50PM MST
In Topics: Websites
In case that SSL makes your eyes roll back a bit, welcome to the party, pal! See the site note from yesterday, if you want to understand just a tad bit of what this was about.
Here's the main thing: If you are not computer savvy, and you clicked through the warning pages about insecurities and such, and made an "exception" for your browser, well, you're here, you've got nothing to worry about and never did. You shouldn't see that again, even on another browser/device. That last part is important, because site visits did go WAY DOWN to roughly 25% of normal.
That drop could mean that we have lots of new visitors daily, in addition to regulars, OR that these warnings do turn even frequent readers away. As I wrote before, that's totally understandable to me.
For the readers who ARE computer savvy, just so you know, I went with the free ones from zerossl. It was not about the money. Though my hosting company wanted 80 bucks a year, one can get these dealies for $7 yearly. Sure, but I'd rather just download without more C-card info being given. This causes me to have to go through the process every 90 days, but my phone does nice alarms at least, and I pasted in all the helpful links I needed and instructions for 3 months hence. Thanks to commenter Adam Smith for all of that.
I'll say this too: If you really don't know what is actually going on with this computer stuff, it is nerve-wracking to do something as supposedly as simple as this. Even with all the videos and written instruction, from various places, nothing worked as per instructions. Little steps are assumed by people who DO know what's what. When you hit a snag, there's no telling if you have to go to a new way. That's the nerve-wracking part: wondering if there will be one of these snags, where things no longer look like the video or instructions.
I had to use an amalgamation of different instructions and had a few "aha" moments and had no idea the final way would be successful till the very end. I suppose some reading by me would be the answer. I just don't know if I care enough to do more than just follow my saved successful instructions for next time. SSL? Whatever.
Comments:
Moderator
Saturday - October 10th 2020 10:57AM MST
PS: Adam, I thought for sure you were onto something with that! Then, I did some testing (even better now, because I think iSteve just changed me to instant-mod, but maybe he fucked up, haha!)
I could not see where Mr. Unz's software added that "s" now, either in 5 min EDIT window, in which it does add a "no-follow" tag by then. I tried a link to Robert's site and had no problem going even from a PUBLISHED one (though I promptly got rid of it.)
The mystery remains, and no, I didn't write anything down from 2 years back, why bother to ask? ;-}
I could not see where Mr. Unz's software added that "s" now, either in 5 min EDIT window, in which it does add a "no-follow" tag by then. I tried a link to Robert's site and had no problem going even from a PUBLISHED one (though I promptly got rid of it.)
The mystery remains, and no, I didn't write anything down from 2 years back, why bother to ask? ;-}
Adam Smith
Saturday - October 10th 2020 9:28AM MST
PS: About those links...
I think your problem might have been that the unz commenting software added the s to the http on your links prompting the warning.
It could be something else. But this is my guess.
You can't read Roberts website if you add the s to http.
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I think your problem might have been that the unz commenting software added the s to the http on your links prompting the warning.
It could be something else. But this is my guess.
You can't read Roberts website if you add the s to http.
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Moderator
Saturday - October 10th 2020 8:51AM MST
PS: Oh, and Mr. Smith, I'm hip to your comments from the future. ;-}
Moderator
Saturday - October 10th 2020 8:50AM MST
PS: Yeah, but Adam, I remember very clearly from 2 years back that I absolutely HAD to do something. My links to here on unz.com would show that warning page (again, I know it's fine, you know it's fine, and now PS readers to, but not most people).
What the heck was going on then? I can tell you that knowing my personality, I would not have changed a thing if I didn't have to.
Yet, you saw my comment to Robert probably, in which I told him that I could click a link on here to his http (no "s") site, and get no warnings. I'd really like to get to the bottom of this. I used to hang around some real web gurus. One guy like that could answer a dozen of my questions in 15 minutes versus a WEEK on the internet.
What the heck was going on then? I can tell you that knowing my personality, I would not have changed a thing if I didn't have to.
Yet, you saw my comment to Robert probably, in which I told him that I could click a link on here to his http (no "s") site, and get no warnings. I'd really like to get to the bottom of this. I used to hang around some real web gurus. One guy like that could answer a dozen of my questions in 15 minutes versus a WEEK on the internet.
Adam Smith
Saturday - October 10th 2020 8:41AM MST
PS: Good morning Robert, Mr. Moderator...
I suspect Mr. MBlanc has one of those hosting companies with free ssl certificates. Many webhosts offer this and an ssl certificate can be installed in just a few clicks from the dashboard or cpanel. Many also offer autossl that keeps your certificate updated.
Robert, I agree with you that there is really no need for an ssl certificate if you are not storing sensitive or personal information. The only real advantage I see an ssl certificate providing a site like yours would be higher search engine page ranking.
Hypothetically an ssl certificate can protect you from a "man in the middle" attack where someone can capture your login information. If you were to login to webdisk, cpanel, or whm (or such) to manage your website on a public or enterprise connection, someone might capture your login credentials which would give them access to your website. If they changed your password you would be locked out. This is something you guys probably do not have to worry about, but it is possible.
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I suspect Mr. MBlanc has one of those hosting companies with free ssl certificates. Many webhosts offer this and an ssl certificate can be installed in just a few clicks from the dashboard or cpanel. Many also offer autossl that keeps your certificate updated.
Robert, I agree with you that there is really no need for an ssl certificate if you are not storing sensitive or personal information. The only real advantage I see an ssl certificate providing a site like yours would be higher search engine page ranking.
Hypothetically an ssl certificate can protect you from a "man in the middle" attack where someone can capture your login information. If you were to login to webdisk, cpanel, or whm (or such) to manage your website on a public or enterprise connection, someone might capture your login credentials which would give them access to your website. If they changed your password you would be locked out. This is something you guys probably do not have to worry about, but it is possible.
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Moderator
Saturday - October 10th 2020 4:38AM MST
PS: I hope others will answer your question for both of us, Robert. I do remember that this site was not reachable from others' links until I did something about it. OTOH, I went to yours and even linked to it temporarily, as I told you, and no problemo.
Moderator
Saturday - October 10th 2020 4:37AM MST
PS: Mr. Blanc, someone told me last time, 2 years back, that "you didn't need to spend that money. It's easy.".... easy for him to say, cause he knows what this is about. Anyway, yeah, I got through it, and I should be good until they change some other thing like this.
Robert
Friday - October 9th 2020 11:06PM MST
PS: For those who know more than I do:
Why have a SSL certificate if one's web site has no personal data? I can understand the usefulness if one has a business and uses credit card numbers; but for a site like this, what is the point? What am I missing?
P.S. I have long had sympathies for Ned Ludd.
Why have a SSL certificate if one's web site has no personal data? I can understand the usefulness if one has a business and uses credit card numbers; but for a site like this, what is the point? What am I missing?
P.S. I have long had sympathies for Ned Ludd.
MBlanc46
Friday - October 9th 2020 4:52PM MST
PS I guess that’s just something that my hosting company deals with and charges me for. I’m glad that you got it sorted out.
Moderator
Friday - October 9th 2020 5:07AM MST
PS: Tech, that sounds worse than what I saw. Let me know if it's OK today. You know I didn't even check for the padlock - those icons are kind of ignorable after a while - but I did do a check for good security on a page from my hosting company and got the A-OK.
Thanks for your note.
Thanks for your note.
Tech the Supporter
Thursday - October 8th 2020 6:56PM MST
PS Yesterday it said security certificate error page cannot be displayed.
This is in a non-evil browser/searcher set up with everything turned off.
Pictures can't even be displayed.
Regarding SSL the padlock is in the address bar and it says Sectigo has identified this site and it is encrypted when you click on it.
This is in a non-evil browser/searcher set up with everything turned off.
Pictures can't even be displayed.
Regarding SSL the padlock is in the address bar and it says Sectigo has identified this site and it is encrypted when you click on it.
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