SPECIAL EDITION: Web Presence

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ISSUE 19.27 • 2022-07-04 EDITORIAL By Will Fastie Freedom! For our US-based readership, today is a celebration of freedom and liberty. To add our litt
[See the full post at: SPECIAL EDITION: Web Presence]

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Norio, DLivesInTexas, geekdom, Alex5723

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Is a free or low-cost SSL certificate included? Browsers now flag sites without SSL (i.e., http instead of the more secure https). You don’t want browsers implying that your site is unsecure, even when it’s not.

SSL certificate is a hidden cost (and time) killer; https is now de facto standard for all websites.

On permanent hiatus {with backup and coffee}
offline▸ Win10Pro 2004.19041.572 x64 i3-3220 RAM8GB HDD Firefox83.0b3 WindowsDefender
offline▸ Acer TravelMate P215-52 RAM8GB Win11Pro 22H2.22621.1265 x64 i5-10210U SSD Firefox106.0 MicrosoftDefender
online▸ Win11Pro 22H2.22621.1992 x64 i5-9400 RAM16GB HDD Firefox116.0b3 MicrosoftDefender

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geekdom wrote:

SSL certificate is a hidden cost (and time) killer

That is simply not true.  My web host offered free SSL a couple of years ago, and my hosting fee has not increased 1¢, nor has my site slowed in any measurable way.

geekdom wrote:

https is now de facto standard for all websites.

And how do you suppose “https” gets attached to one’s web site?

“Secure HTTP (HTTPS) adds a layer of encryption to that information. That way, hackers can still listen in on conversations between browsers and servers, but the information isn’t readable because the hacker doesn’t have the key to understand that information.

To create that secure connection, you need to install an SSL certificate.”

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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SSL certificate is de facto standard, but it may not be mentioned by the host provider that it is not included.

“Would you like wheels with your car?”

It’s a good idea to ask if SSL certificate is included in website and if it is part of the cost.

If provisions are not made by the website hoster either before or after website contract, other provisions must be made to acquire the SSL certificate which will require additional setup and configuration time or additional funds.

On permanent hiatus {with backup and coffee}
offline▸ Win10Pro 2004.19041.572 x64 i3-3220 RAM8GB HDD Firefox83.0b3 WindowsDefender
offline▸ Acer TravelMate P215-52 RAM8GB Win11Pro 22H2.22621.1265 x64 i5-10210U SSD Firefox106.0 MicrosoftDefender
online▸ Win11Pro 22H2.22621.1992 x64 i5-9400 RAM16GB HDD Firefox116.0b3 MicrosoftDefender

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geekdom wrote:

SSL certificate is de facto standard, but it may not be mentioned by the host provider that it is not included.

I’ve been with my current hosting company for more than eight years.  SSL was not included when I first signed up.  When SSL certificates became the de facto standard, my hosting company offered a free SSL certificate for all current customers, which included setup and configuration.  I accepted.

My hosting fee did not change, and has not changed since I started with this company.  I have hosting, domain registration and domain privacy all setup on autopay, so I don’t have to remember those dates.  Domain registration and domain privacy are yearly, and hosting is on two-year renewal.  I get an email reminder a month or so beforehand.

The majority of my email is hosted there, as well.  I do have an outlook.com account, and a few throwaway gmail accounts that I use for sites that require registration, but I never use them to send email, and never check those gmail accounts.

For all services I pay $12/month.  I don’t use a site builder app, preferring to code the CSS/HTML myself.  I’m not selling or advertising anything, so I’m not interested in any window dressing.

 

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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Web hosters differ in services offered  As I wrote earlier, “SSL certificate is de facto standard, but it may not be mentioned by the host provider that it is not included.”

If SSL certificate is not included –depending on the host provider — the “buyer” may required to extend extra effort  or extra cost to obtain it.

On permanent hiatus {with backup and coffee}
offline▸ Win10Pro 2004.19041.572 x64 i3-3220 RAM8GB HDD Firefox83.0b3 WindowsDefender
offline▸ Acer TravelMate P215-52 RAM8GB Win11Pro 22H2.22621.1265 x64 i5-10210U SSD Firefox106.0 MicrosoftDefender
online▸ Win11Pro 22H2.22621.1992 x64 i5-9400 RAM16GB HDD Firefox116.0b3 MicrosoftDefender

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Your statement:

If, say, you change from Comcast to Verizon, you’ll lose the comcast.net address. The switch will be costly for you and confusing for your customers.

Is not true. Even after leaving Comcast (Xfinity) the use of the email is still allowed. Comcast does not deny access to the email address.

The other side of the coin? How long will Comcast be generous before they discontinue the use of the email address? No one knows, not even Comcast.

Popular services include G Suite (Google),

Is now called Google Workspace, not G Suite.

Good information on setting up a web presence. Thanks for the information.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Will Fastie

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RayT wrote:

Is now called Google Workspace, not G Suite.

I keep getting that wrong. I think I was right in 2020.

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Overall, great information and advice. Thanks!

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Will Fastie

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When making decisions related to email services, web hosting, and cloud storage our biggest concerns are privacy and data security.

The key questions for any digital service is who:

• Has access to our data?
• Do they harvest it?
• Do they retain it on their servers?
• Do the analyses it?
• Do they use it to profile us?
• Do they sell it to third parties?
• Is it exposed to police warrants?
• Is it exposed to prosecutors’ subpoenas?

The other questions include:

• Is our email traffic encrypted?
• Is our online data flow encrypted?
• Is the data stored in the cloud encrypted?

More later.

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Responding for myself; after finally getting 1GB fiber broadband here, I searched for a webhost not coupled with my V.92 internet service provider. I did want a webhost resistant to not merely DDoS attacks, but actors seeking to make my World-Wide Web pages unavailable for any reason.
Remembering Woody’s original remark about his seven-year-old browsing here, I have select interests which I do not mention. So-many-years ago, I broke out the links on my W-WW bookmark page to avert censorware determining some of those links disqualified me from being shown to surfers.
The domain name registrar I chose is Porkbun, of Portland, OR. U.S.A. Porkbun provides the TLS certificate.
My webhost is Orange webhosting. It is hosted in Iceland, which is not a nation in the fourteen eyes surveillance alliance. I have read that it is host to a number of conspiracy theorists and persons spreading horrible information; but my content is definately not like theirs. I paid $26.98 for six-months hosting. This seems to be average.
Aside from the domain I.P. Address changing a fortnight ago (which required logging on to the Porkbun account to amend), its web hosting is fine. I recommend it. Particularly if you have any interests which are NSFW.

Important links you can use, without the monetization pitch = https://pqrs-ltd.xyz/bookmark4.html

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Kathy Stevens

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Steve

Thank you.

We have not focused on the fourteen eyes surveillance alliance before now.

Something new to think about.

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