Re: HTTPS vs. HTTP ?

I think I'm going to forget trying to explain the technical details, because somehow this conversation is completely missing the point now. :) SSL allows you to be sure that your credit card number is getting safely and securely to the Web site identified by a certain domain name. That's all it does, but that is not something trivial. Are you trusting a domain name by trusting SSL? No, not exactly. You are trusting the system that I explained in great detail to ensure that your communication is reaching that domain name securely (not just encrypted). This is a significant thing, and it is a system that I have great respect for. Everything else is no different than using your credit card at a physical establishment, so it's not really helpful to debate those points anyway. Chris P.S. - CA means Certificate Authority. C&A means Certification and Accreditation. The two cannot be used interchangeably.