Facebook is about to get a security boost, but it's likely to slow the site down for users in the U.S. It's sure to be annoying, but with so much of our lives on Facebook these days -- from pictures of our weddings to our kids -- it's a measure that I'm glad Facebook is taking.
How does it work? Now Facebook users will access the site through HTTPS, which encrypts data sent between your browser and Facebook's servers, just like your bank or any site that asks you to enter your credit card number. Why will that slow things down?
The HTTPS option has been available for Facebookers for a while now, and using encryption to keep your personal information secure makes pages take longer to load. But if that keeps people from hacking my account and using my information, then I'm all for it. We put so much information online that anything we can do to make it safer is a good move.
Sure, slow web sites are supper irritating. (Are they as irritating as having to wait through a 30-second ad for something you don't care about in order to watch a video though? Are they??? No. Nothing is as irritating as those things.) But I guess it's the price we have to pay, because the world is full of jerks.
There's no point in whining about it. Facebook is rolling out HTTPS in the U.S., and then the rest of the world, so there will be no escape. Although why you'd want to escape is beyond me. It's a smart move on Facebook's part and one that should make us feel a little more comfortable in our connected world.
Do you mind if Facebook is slower if its more secure?
Image via Sean MacEntee/Flickr
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Comments 2
It is 'probably' going to slow things down... and only by minute amounts. Most people won't even notice. And, it probably won't do much to keep determined thieves away. People still post WAY too much information on facebook- and there will be many people who 'opt' out of the process under the false assumption that it makes any real difference in loading time.
The real problem with facebook isn't WITH facebook, it is the PEOPLE who use it. They aren't overly knowledgeable about the risks they take when using it. Facebook can throw out all the fancy smancy server adjustments it wants, it can't stop stupid.
I have been using the encrypted connection for a long time, don't notice a thing. More likely users still stuck with dialup may but broadband it isn't noticable