Blogger has after a long time come up with a new option for technical settings of the blogs, and this time is is something that most Blogger's didn't generally expected: The option to serve their blogs over HTTPS.
This surely came as a surprised, and especially on a platform like Blogger. Most people use it for blogs, and generally blogs doesn't require so much protection against data theft. Do note that serving your blog over has nothing to do with the security of your Blogger account, but to ensure that the data from your blog's domain that is being transferred to a visitor is more secure than the normal HTTP.
Other than the security of the data HTTPS do has some very interesting advantages, for an instance many advanced APIs in HTML5 allows sites to use features that requires advanced device or application access. But that is generally insignificant for any regular or even advanced Blogger.
It is though not for everyone. A blog anyways doesn't generally needs HTTPS but this has sure come as a breeze of hope for many folks who might have wanted to have this on Blogger. So if you know what you are doing then you are good to go.
This surely came as a surprised, and especially on a platform like Blogger. Most people use it for blogs, and generally blogs doesn't require so much protection against data theft. Do note that serving your blog over has nothing to do with the security of your Blogger account, but to ensure that the data from your blog's domain that is being transferred to a visitor is more secure than the normal HTTP.
Other than the security of the data HTTPS do has some very interesting advantages, for an instance many advanced APIs in HTML5 allows sites to use features that requires advanced device or application access. But that is generally insignificant for any regular or even advanced Blogger.
What is HTTPS and What Does it Do
HTTPS has no significant effect on your search rankings or such, or the content that is displayed or presented to the visitor, only the way it is done is affected, or to say improved and secured.
It stands for "HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure", which clarifies its true meaning, it is secure, yup, it makes difficult for a hacker to steal data between the user and your blog. But these are implemented mainly on sites that requires protection from potential data thefts, like a Banking Site, or many sites like Google, Facebook, Twitter etc. which has to protect a users data that is being transferred over the air from thefts. These are some examples, but you will see the use of HTTPS not only these poplar but more business and services websites.
It stands for "HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure", which clarifies its true meaning, it is secure, yup, it makes difficult for a hacker to steal data between the user and your blog. But these are implemented mainly on sites that requires protection from potential data thefts, like a Banking Site, or many sites like Google, Facebook, Twitter etc. which has to protect a users data that is being transferred over the air from thefts. These are some examples, but you will see the use of HTTPS not only these poplar but more business and services websites.
Why is encrypted data so important? It is important when you are transferring content that can be a subject of data theft. A website that asks for your credit card detail so that you can pay money mostly use HTTPS and advanced encryption to ensure that a hacker doesn't steal the data and decrypt it that might reveal the details to them. Credit card details is one example, other reasons are to protect the transfer of cookies, which might give away a way for the hackers to pretend to be you and log into a site with the use of those cookies and HTTPS just gives the data more protection.
Should I use it?
Most people who when visit a site with HTTPS they sub-consciously get a assurance that the site is genuine and safe to use, probably even better than competitors with only HTTP. It does help a visitor to decide physiologically to either trust the site or not. Anyways that is not very similar with a blog, most people don't expect HTTPS being implemented on a blog they just want to read, though it doesn't harm the experience either.
HTTPS can be prove to be helpful but at the same time can be an obstruction to small things that you might be doing. For example when your blog is on HTTPS and you suppose have linked an image from another site with only HTTP in its URL the browser may give out a "mixed content" warning which might confuse a visitor who doesn't know what's going on and might possibly lead them away. Though those are not malicious but might give out a feeling of it, so when you use HTTPS you have to make sure the resources like assets files and images are also on HTTPS.
On the other hand you might also note that you should not embed contents that are not on HTTPS, but this isn't a big issue if you mainly embed content from sites which already serves on the secure protocol i.e HTTPS like Google Docs, YouTube and many other well known site.
Benefits
- Visitors are ensured that the site they've opened is genuine and not a malicious site that they've been redirected to without their knowledge.
- Any person trying to manipulate the content that is being transfer from your blog to the visitor will find it more difficult, thus providing security to the data.
- If you are tech-savvy then there are some more advantages of it that you can enjoy through latest web technologies eg. the notification API or the use of media devices through the site
Things to look out for
- If you have third party gadgets that uses resources on the general HTTProtocol errors might come up as HTTPS suggests only resource on the same protocol be served.
- Only for ".blogspot.com". Not available by blogger for custom domains, though HTTPS services might be available from your domain registrar.
- 'http://' doesn't redirect to the secure version if some types it in. Though when you have turned off "HTTPS Availability" your blog's URL would redirect to the HTTP even if a user types in "https://"
It is though not for everyone. A blog anyways doesn't generally needs HTTPS but this has sure come as a breeze of hope for many folks who might have wanted to have this on Blogger. So if you know what you are doing then you are good to go.
On a further note I would suggest you to visit this official forum thread to learn what the users have to say about this feature: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/blogger/AYiZ_QjkbxE
