Adding SSL to the website

Hi Pekka,

I wanted to mention that you should probably begin working on getting the website hosted securely via SSL. I know that Google already gives higher preference to search results for websites that are encrypted, and Chrome and other browsers are going to start labeling/marking websites served up over HTTP as non-secure. Let's Encrypt (linked below) is a CA that gives out certs for free for people to host their websites with SSL encryption. My hosting service has Let's Encrypt featured right in its admin panel so it's super easy to install and then it just updates itself every time it expires. If you need a little assistance just due to lack of time or whatever, I can help you out. I just think it would improve POTN if it was served up over HTTPS. Let me know if you have any questions, you can PM if you'd like.

Cheers!

I'm just sitting here, wasting some time on my day off, and wondering why this is a public post instead of a PM? Things that make you go, "HHHhhmmm."

Thinking the same.

Not taking a position on the subject itself, and just guessing... but...

Perhaps as assumption was made that Pekka does not get PMs. I, too, would assume they were rerouted to mods who determine whether or not they are forwarded to Pekka

Picture North Carolina wrote in post #18513241
Not taking a position on the subject itself, and just guessing... but...

Perhaps as assumption was made that Pekka does not get PMs. I, too, would assume they were rerouted to mods who determine whether or not they are forwarded to Pekka

I believe that to be a valid assumption. The question is, if you have a direct route like PM, why use a route that may never be seen by either any moderator, or by intended recipient?

Bassat wrote in post #18513284
why use a route that may never be seen by either any moderator, or by intended recipient?

Pekka responds to posts in this forum all the time. As do mods.

Edit: based on past experience (and responses by Pekka and other mods) I believe Pekka monitors these forums. Because he does not respond does not mean he did not see a post.

Picture North Carolina wrote in post #18513298
Pekka responds to posts in this forum all the time. As do mods.

Edit: based on past experience (and responses by Pekka and other mods) I believe Pekka monitors these forums. Because he does not respond does not mean he did not see a post.

The implication is that posting a random thread to a site that get thousands of posts per day is somehow more likely to be viewed by the intended recipient than an individual direct message. Please allow me to imply that I can sell you some prime ocean-front property in Kansas, for a spectacularly good price.

Pekka does of course get PM's. This is his site and he is very active in the everyday operation and monitoring.

Chet wrote in post #18513318
Pekka does of course get PM's. This is his site and he is very active in the everyday operation and monitoring.

I agree. Pekka has been directly involved in a lot of threads. Still seems to me that a DIRECT message has more of a chance of getting noticed than a random post. On the other hand, PM is similar to email. I delete 98% of the email I get at work without looking at it. Most everyone I work with knows a Post-It note stuck to my computer will get a much faster response than an email. I have to actually touch the note to get it out of my way. I can go weeks without looking at my email.

Bassat wrote in post #18513311
I can sell you some prime ocean-front property in Kansas, for a spectacularly good price.

I see no reason for sarcasm. It adds nothing constructive nor productive to a conversation, nor to this forum.

I also see no reason to endlessly debate such a minor point. I have better things to do with my life. I hope you do, too.

Here's my bottom line thoughts.

I agree with the subject of the post, but disagree with the need to post nor send a PM for this reason.

Anybody that has written code professionally knows how extensive this forum is and the good job Pekka has done in creating it.

That said, if Pekka is smart enough to write the code, I believe he is certainly smart enough to stay abreast of Google's latest shenanigans.

Right now using what I believe to be the two main search phrases a photog would use ("photography forum" and "forum for photographers") POTN is on page 1 of Google.

When Pekka deems it necessary to make changes relevant to SEO, I am sure he will make them.

Have a good day.

Pekka gets PMs, and sometimes he replies. He also posts when appropriate, often about updates to the software or in response to questions and comments about POTN. If you want to say something to the POTN management generally, the link at the bottom labeled "Send feedback to staff" is a good choice.

I've opened the subject in the mod forum. We'll see if there's interest.

Picture North Carolina wrote in post #18513351
That said, if Pekka is smart enough to write the code, I believe he is certainly smart enough to stay abreast of Google's latest shenanigans.

Right now using what I believe to be the two main search phrases a photog would use ("photography forum" and "forum for photographers") POTN is on page 1 of Google.

I didn't say he lacks the skill, I said he may lack the time. And for you, yes, POTN is going to be on page 1 even more specific searches than forum for photographers, it's a feature known as filter bubbling. Same thing happens on my box. You and I do not get the same results as others when searching Google. Just for fun I grabbed my lady's laptop and ran those searches, the first one POTN was 9th, the second one it was 11th. On my (newly installed) machine the same searches POTN came up 4th & 7th. I'm not sure if my lady's laptop's results are effected by having the exact same hardware profile as my old machine (because I just clean installed it for her), but I don't think so. That's mainly used for software validation, but it's not impossible. However the SEO thing was more of an aside, I just don't think it would be good for POTN to start getting labeled as non-secure, so it's just one of those things that will have to be done.

As for PM vs post, whatever, like another metioned, inboxes get full and some people may not process them efficiently. But honestly that wasn't even part of my thought process. I just posted here because I've conversed with Pekka here before and it was the relevant subforum. That simple, and I really don't think it's nearly as big a deal as has been made of it. There are more important and/or interesting things to discuss.

Cheers!

PhotosGuy wrote in post #18513466
I've opened the subject in the mod forum. We'll see if there's interest.

Thank you.