What's wrong with the internet?
Bob Luken
Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 3,664
Spotty connection to ccom and some other sites. Slow connection glitches too all weekend. Anybody else? Or just me?
Comments
It was spotty for me ---- I couldn't connect to the forums from the tablet but my phone worked just fine.
I tried logging out, clearing browser history/cahce/etc. and that didn't help ... no clue because I could still access ccom main page/list of cigars/etc.
When a site needs to implement an encrypted transmission scheme, the site admin buys a "certificate" from an internet registrar such as GoDaddy or Network Solutions. This certificate is supposed to certify that the site are who they say they are. It registers that encryption keyn to that specific site. In the old days, I used to have to go get paperwork notarized and all to buy a cert. Now I just answer an automated phone call to a phone number I entered in a form when I bought the cert. Nevertheless, if the server admin has not paid for a cert, or has not paid to renew the cert this year, or the key does not match the name, then your browser is taught to pop up an error such as you describe. Your transmission is still encrypted. Remember -- all the work is done by browser and server. No work is done by a cert. The error just means the server admin didn't pay someone or didn't configure things right. If all matches, then you see a lock on the status bar.
All in all, certs are just about the biggest scam on the internet. Though perfectly legal and virtually required.
Another odd thing with this is when the forums don't come up with Firefox they usually do with Chrome. I bet it's a conspiracy by google to take over the interwebs...