websanity

Fat footers

tech help, technology / /

Jerry wrote this & sent it to a client;

A fat footer is a means of showing secondary navigation, or
showcasing primary navigation, or reinforcing selected pieces of your
navigation. Here are some examples:

On a long-scroll blog page, put some choices at the bottom:
http://bokardo.com/

Put sales and branding at the top and navigation at the bottom:
http://www.dapper.net/

Promote the pages you really want them to visit:
http://www.blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/

Pizazz at the top, decision-making choices at the bottom:
http://www.apple.com/iphone/

We think it’s usually best to have a color change for the footer:
http://billyhughes.oph.gov.au/

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SSL in depth

business, security, tech help, technology / /

I host Web sites, but we’ve only recently [2004] had to start implementing SSL, the Secure Sockets Layer, which turns http into https. I’ve been on the lookout for a good overview of SSL that explains why it is implemented as it is, and I think I’ve finally found one: Chris Shiflett: HTTP Developer’s Handbook: 18. Secure Sockets Layer is a chapter from Shiflett’s book posted on his web site, and boy it is good.

SSL has dramatically changed the way people use the Web, and it provides a very good solution to many of the Web’s shortcomings, most importantly:

  • Data integrity – SSL can help ensure that data (HTTP messages) cannot be changed while in transit.
  • Data confidentiality – SSL provides strong cryptographic techniques used to encrypt HTTP messages.
  • Identification – SSL can offer reasonable assurance as to the identity of a Web server. It can also be used to validate the identity of a client, but this is less common.

Shiflett is a clear technical writer, and if this chapter is any indication, the rest of his book may be worth buying.

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