Monthly Archives: F Y

What is SSL?

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Filing your taxes online? Making a credit card transaction? Transferring funds from your checking to savings account? Secure Sockets Layer, also known as SSL, is an encrypted connection between the site you are visiting and your web server that makes these online transactions safe. Unless you have an encrypted connection, every piece of valuable information can be viewed by others. SSL helps prevent your credit information, social security information, and any other personal information from getting into the wrong hands.

You might wonder… how does SSL work?  The internet runs through multiple layers on a server before reaching the needed information on a web page.  The outer layer is composed of high level protocols such as HTTP, IMAP, and FTP protocols.  Then these high level protocols go through the SSL, if it is a non-secured connection then it passes through.  If the client requests a secure connection then the SSL layer will begin the security process.

In order to enable SSL on a company website, the company needs to get an SSL Certificate from a Certificate Authority that verifies whether or not the business and its online services are trustworthy. Once SSL is installed, the company can access the secured site by changing their URL from http:// to https://. Having a SSL certified website and site seal increases the chances of your company conducting business online because visitors will know that their private information is safe.

A few of the SSL Certification programs are:

Norton Secured Verisign  Truste Trust Seal  Trust Seal Click ID

So, before you make your next purchase online, be sure to check for the SSL Certificate!

Wednesday’s Web Word: Modal Window

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Hey, look! It’s Wednesday! And what do you know, we’re going to have another Wednesday’s Web Word! Today’s word is going to be “Modal Window.”

Wikipedia defines Modal Window as:

[A] child window that requires users to interact with it before they can return to operating the parent application, thus preventing the workflow on the application main window.

It’s pretty straight forward. A modal window is a window that floats above the original window without the hassel of having to load an entirely new page. For example, modal windows make browsing through images in a gallery much quicker.

Some examples:

1) Light Boxes

Light Box Modal Window

2)

Modal Window Comment Contact Form

3)

Alert Modal window

Until next time!

Word of the Week: Analytics

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It’s another week and that means it’s time for another word of the week! This week’s word is Analytics. The most common usage of this word comes from your web guy when he asks you, “Do you have Google Analytics?” (It probably isn’t the case, but it’s the most common time I use the word.)  And you’d say, “Why yes, yes, I do use Google Analytics.” Great, then we are done here… Move along… Anyone still around? Then good, I’ll get to the definition of today’s word…now! Today, Wikipediadefines analytics as:

[T]he process of developing optimal or realistic decision recommendations based on insights derived through the application of statistical models and analysis against existing and/or simulated future data.

Basically, this means to gather data, analyze it and present it in a meaningful way. When relating to the web, we can have Google perform all the analytics for us. Google Analytics will track data of tracking our visitors, getting information on how they are coming to our site, where they are going after each page and for how long they are staying on our site. This analytics data can be used to improve our website if used properly. Want to learn more? Contact us!

Hey Mom This is How Twitter Works…

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Found this site that explains how Twitter works. I think this is a very useful guide that will explain everything in very simple terms. Here is a snippet:

Twitter is an online social networking tool in which users post 140 character updates of what is going on in their lives along with links to things they think are interesting, funny, or useful to their followers (“following” being essentially what “friending” is on other sites).