tannoy blog — Internet Explorer & certificates

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Q. Running Internet Explorer? Got a problem with a certificate? Want to solve it?

A. Run Firefox.

Basically, IE says there’s an issue with a certificate when you visit a website, but refuses to tell you want the issue is. If you don’t know what a problem is, you can’t solve it. IE denies you the information you need to work out what’s gone wrong. It prevents you from making an intelligent response. It presumes you are stupid.

Firefox doesn’t conceal this information. It has this weird idea that problems are for solving, not scaring. It presumes you’re not stupid.

Firefox helps the user be intelligent, rather than forces them to be stupid. And you know what? Firefox users make far fewer errors with certificates. I doubt this is a coincidence.

Incidentally, to understand why I haven’t linked the above point to the research supporting it, read the entry on the decline of Google Search.

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