User talk:Cadinsor

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point of https[edit]

Could you explain what the point is of using HTTPS on a wiki? I understand the importance of using it for finance and e-commerce sites, but on a wiki, I wouldn't think there'd be any sensitive information that needs the extra security. (Maybe I don't understand HTTPS very well in the first place.) —Dr Ishmael User Dr ishmael Diablo the chicken.png 20:29, 12 August 2014 (UTC)

dem packet sniffers stealing your contributions. -Chieftain AlexUser Chieftain Alex sig.png 20:36, 12 August 2014 (UTC)
If you approach the issue of encryption with the "nothing to hide" attitude, you miss an important point. Consider a scenario where anyone who didn't send their mail on a postcard (and instead used envelopes) was questioned about what they tried to hide. A scenario where people who didn't proclaim publicly "I'm going to the store to buy food" everytime they went out on an errand, was questioned with "what do you have to hide about going to the store?". This is the scenario we have today on the net. It's absurd, and the only way to turn it around is to make encryption commonplace. I was thrilled when I read that you had HTTPS enabled (found out today). Cadinsor (talk) 20:56, 12 August 2014 (UTC)
I still don't understand, and your analogies don't really seem related. Encryption is a tool you use when you need it, and there are plenty of places on the internet where you need it, but there are also plenty of other places where you don't need it. What is absurd about that? —Dr Ishmael User Dr ishmael Diablo the chicken.png 21:06, 12 August 2014 (UTC)
Every site you visit without secure HTTP (HTTPS) is broadcast over the net while you do so. Every machine on the networks between the server and your computer see every step you take. This is the equivalent to (or rather more than) the shop analogy. My point is that encryption isn't only about financial or technical security (although there is an argument for HTTPS everywhere for technical reasons as well). It's about an expect level of privacy. Cadinsor (talk) 21:16, 12 August 2014 (UTC)
That makes a lot more sense, thanks. —Dr Ishmael User Dr ishmael Diablo the chicken.png 21:52, 12 August 2014 (UTC)