You very observant individuals may have noticed a little green signal at the top of your browser if you're one of the many Chrome users.
If you haven't, this is how it look:
Now, what does this mean? What's the meaning behind that?
You google-fu-fighting individuals would have probably stumbled upon this little article from Google's own support site: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/6073543?hl=en
What this says is, for us, in this case, we are 'safe' what this means is, by google's standard, we are a safe site.
Being a safe site means quite a lot in terms of Google's algorithms.
It requires a few things. The site must use SSL (HTTPS) which we have been doing for over a year now, but we've been stabled insecure, still. And this is due to how the SSL handles encryptions, so if your site is using HTTPS, but it has a lot of pictures or ads, that isn't using HTTPS your browser is basically getting 1 secure line, but ontop of that, from the same place, it's getting a lot of insecure processes.
I'm admittedly mostly paraphrasing and not doing the complexity any justice at all. But safe to say, it's bad business for Google's search algorithms as it pushes NC down in it's priority and even disables some services that we otherwise would've been able to use and be very happy with.
Now, the site is secure!
> What ho? But isn't my picture being hosted off of <insert random image hosting service here that isn't using HTTPS, but instead HTTP>
Why yes, yes indeed it is.
But, thankful to a simple little script and some manipulation efforts of an extension that was found off of phpBB's own site.
Our very own Shinrya Kitsune did some super cool fixes, and now, if you check a link for any pictures on the site, avatars, signatures, etc. (that isn't hosted by Imgur, as they use HTTPS) you see that the URL has surprisingly this in front of it:
What this little script and URL does is essentially "trick" the secure checker (they are just pictures and they are automatically checked by the forum and us admins, so there's no risk in these pictures) to tell it that all these pictures are hosted by a secure service i.e NC's own servers (HTTPS)
It's a fairly simple concept to consider. And it takes a huge concern I have personally had for ages the minute we switched to HTTPS off my shoulders. So it's an awesome development that I am very pleased and happy with.
----------
TL;DR
NC is now a "secure" site, meaning Google is very happy with us, and we can now move waay up the listings of searches, etc.
Meaning potentially lots more visitors and such!
Thank Shinrya Kitsune for figuring it out, and sending me all the necessary tidbits.
He's our very own lovely little code monkey. So send him lots of love and excited glee!
He most certainly deserves it.
If you haven't, this is how it look:
Now, what does this mean? What's the meaning behind that?
You google-fu-fighting individuals would have probably stumbled upon this little article from Google's own support site: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/6073543?hl=en
What this says is, for us, in this case, we are 'safe' what this means is, by google's standard, we are a safe site.
Being a safe site means quite a lot in terms of Google's algorithms.
It requires a few things. The site must use SSL (HTTPS) which we have been doing for over a year now, but we've been stabled insecure, still. And this is due to how the SSL handles encryptions, so if your site is using HTTPS, but it has a lot of pictures or ads, that isn't using HTTPS your browser is basically getting 1 secure line, but ontop of that, from the same place, it's getting a lot of insecure processes.
I'm admittedly mostly paraphrasing and not doing the complexity any justice at all. But safe to say, it's bad business for Google's search algorithms as it pushes NC down in it's priority and even disables some services that we otherwise would've been able to use and be very happy with.
Now, the site is secure!
> What ho? But isn't my picture being hosted off of <insert random image hosting service here that isn't using HTTPS, but instead HTTP>
Why yes, yes indeed it is.
But, thankful to a simple little script and some manipulation efforts of an extension that was found off of phpBB's own site.
Our very own Shinrya Kitsune did some super cool fixes, and now, if you check a link for any pictures on the site, avatars, signatures, etc. (that isn't hosted by Imgur, as they use HTTPS) you see that the URL has surprisingly this in front of it:
Code:
https://www.ninpocho.com/remoteImage.php?url=What this little script and URL does is essentially "trick" the secure checker (they are just pictures and they are automatically checked by the forum and us admins, so there's no risk in these pictures) to tell it that all these pictures are hosted by a secure service i.e NC's own servers (HTTPS)
It's a fairly simple concept to consider. And it takes a huge concern I have personally had for ages the minute we switched to HTTPS off my shoulders. So it's an awesome development that I am very pleased and happy with.
----------
TL;DR
NC is now a "secure" site, meaning Google is very happy with us, and we can now move waay up the listings of searches, etc.
Meaning potentially lots more visitors and such!
Thank Shinrya Kitsune for figuring it out, and sending me all the necessary tidbits.
He's our very own lovely little code monkey. So send him lots of love and excited glee!
He most certainly deserves it.