Fantasies Realm -- are they still there?

[Kerya]

It's probably because the login is on a http:// page, not https://.
Bitdefender tells me it is not secure to put in data at that page, but when I tell it that I want to do that anyway, it lets me ...
(sorry, I think my English is totally off, but I hope you are able to understand me)

 

[DanaTA]

That's not all there is to it, I'm sure. There are other forums I frequent that aren't secured by SSL, and Norton doesn't block them. But not having SSL does pose a problem. You don't know if someone malicious is "listening" to traffic on such a site (called a man-in-the-middle attack). Even though not much info is stored, they can watch and capture your username and password. Unfortunately, there are still many people who use the same password on a lot of sites they visit. Once they have that, they can search for the username and possibly log in under that person's credentials and cause havoc, steal identities, post terrible things in that person's name, etc. I use a different password everywhere, so that wouldn't be an issue. But I still don't like the idea. And, as I said, I will not disable Norton. There's too much at risk for me.

Dana

 

[Kerya]

I am using a different password everywhere too. And they are stored in my brain ... not on my computer. Quite safe.

 

[DanaTA]

I couldn't possibly remember all the passwords I have. I make strong passwords...which means they make no sense, just a scramble of letters, number, special characters. That's the strongest passwords. Word or phrases, even using clever things like 3 rather than E, are easily hacked. I use a password manager, which keeps them in an encrypted "vault", with a very strong password needed to unlock the vault and provide access.

Dana

 

[Rowan54]

I have about a hundred passwords for a hundred places. In a text document buried in computer. While I let password manager deal with the stuff that's low security, I do have a few high security (banking info) ones memorized. And the rest, I have to look up when the computer forgets them, which happens all too often.

 

[Aelin]

I can answer I didn't change my system and yet suddenly there is one site where I can no more go since years. And the fact it was asked to me by somebody to put the site in the white list, almost with closed eyes. But my goal isn't to enter in a sterile polemic.
I didn't talk of PFDlives here, because the question at the beginning of topic was about FRM. For forums and freebies, I have choosen to tell the things here

Now, about http against https?
I'm on Fantasy Attic since years. We haven't https. Same for PFDlives, like my favorite link is saying. And I always had the message "this connection isn't secure. blablabla". It's just something which appeared everywhere when some companies on internet decided it was good for them to push everyone to buy a certificate to have https. If you haven't, you have that message. Up to the users to accept the "risk" or not.
It's not an obligation to have a https on a forum. You have just to give a pseudo, a password, and an email for activation. And it's totally possible to create an email just for forums, which serves to nothing else. Concerning the fact few people keep the same password for every action they do, I think there are less and less of those strange beings In my case, many passwords, and not on comp but on a notebook, in my own fashion to "encrypt" them.
Now, like I'm writting, I see the https in the url for Hivewire forum. And what just before the https? A ! sign, because the site isn't considered like secure by my system. A good joke with the talk we have But I trust the Hivewire forum.

You complained last month about the fact it costs you money to renew your own SSL for your market. Well, it's the same concerning FRM. And last time I checked, nope, none of admins is Cresus. I really wish it's the case, but it's not so the SSL is choosen for what is trully asking for personnal informations.

So you can trust PFDlives like before. Or you can decide you don't trust. But things haven't changed from the side of other users.

 

[DanaTA]

I trust the people there. But I will not disable Norton, and it's a royal PITA to have to click the link to continue to site and then click the link that says continue without isolation mode, for every single page change, or button or link on the site. I don't know why it is suddenly considered not safe by Norton. I used to visit that site every day, for several years, and it never happened before. So, I'm wondering that maybe the server(s) it's on has some unsafe site(s) on it as well. Many hosting services host many more than one site on their servers, called shared hosting. To have a server that is dedicated to only the one domain (site) is very expensive. If a server hosts an unsafe or malicious site, it is possible for that to "infect" the other domains hosted on the same server. Just one possibility I can think of. It could also be that it is considered new because of being on a new host and server, and it doesn't have any reports from members of the Norton community to say it's a safe site. If that's the case, I just put in a review on the Norton SafeWeb community. But if I'm the only one, I don't know if that will carry enough weight to change their rating.

Dana

 

[Aelin]

But if it was the case for a malicious site on the server, then FRM and all the forums would be affected, and for everyone using Norton or a brother antivirus. For now, not a member contacted DarkAngel to tell her they have a problem with their antivirus.
And FRM and forums are on the same server.

 

[Aelin]

Just to tell FRM is fully back functionnal

 

[DanaTA]

But if it was the case for a malicious site on the server, then FRM and all the forums would be affected, and for everyone using Norton or a brother antivirus. For now, not a member contacted DarkAngel to tell her they have a problem with their antivirus.
And FRM and forums are on the same server.

Because it hasn't happened, doesn't mean it couldn't happen. Norton does a lot more research and has more tools than I do. I can't tell you why, but again...I won't disable Norton just to visit a forum.

And by the way, I am a member on that forum and I did tell her about it!

Dana

 

[Aelin]

What can I add, except you are the only one to complain?
I asked around, nobody is blocked to go on PFDlives, no matter the antivirus, and tools used to navigate, you are the only one until now.
And between the persons I asked even by PM, one is using very powerful tools beside the antivirus.

It's useless to continue to repeat the same thing on your case over and over. We understood the first time, and we looked for.

I asked about the server too, even if I thought I had understood that already - I just wanted to be sure before to make a definitive answer. Only the forums and FRM are on it, nothing else. So no malicious site like neighbor.
Forums and FRM are safe.

And now, please, thank you to go back to the theme of the topic, which was about FRM, if anyone has questions about.
PFDlives has nothing to do with that, I already told you. And we'll continue to have a circle and sterile talk on that. I'm thinking also to members who suscribed to this topic because of the original theme.

 

[darkangel]

OK, in here just to pop in and yes the site is working with the gallery now...the market, on the other hand, is putting up a fight and for now is available to shop or browse but will go away when I get things upgraded for it. It will have a new look, unfortunately...LOL

Dana, sweety, nobody is telling you to disable anything to come by and visit, my own site, and like you, I am not there all that often ---too much to do on the server for all the sites I do manage.

All I told you was that nobody else is having issues to get on/ login or out and get your crazy us. I said to go into your own computer and check the internet options control panel or your Norton's (I can't tell you how I do not like that program since many years ago when they started being so stubborn and still get hacked).

Go to the internet options control panel and see exactly what your settings are and see if there is one to change
Go to your firewall and see if it needs to allow us somehow
Go to your browsers and in the settings there, there should be a place to allow the URL to bypass and let you in
Go to Norton's panel and see also if there is a place to allow the URL.

IF you can access PFD then you should be able to access Attic and FRM. So since it doesn't seem to be our end---now I sound like those awful techs that just confused too---it must be a setting on your end with the computer, programs, somewhere.

ALSO, have you cleared cache, cookies, bookmark, and did a DNS flush from your little windows panel to clear the DNS cache from your very own comp...that done at least once a month is great maintenance for your comp/programs

 

[DanaTA]

It is not windows doing this, it is Norton that is doing this. It considers pfdlives dangerous. I can tell it to let me go there anyway, but it will only allow read-only, and every time I click a link, like the Next link to go to the next page in posts, I get the blocking again. It's too much trouble to bother with at this time. And after three or four times, then it locks it out completely.

Dana

 

[Miss B]

I just tried getting to PDFLives, and Norton blocked me too.

I actually had this problem with Norton and the latest Firefox on all my sites a couple/three months ago, and I had to get the SSL certificates, that fortunately my web host gives for free, and I had to make changes to my htaccess files for each site. I was lucky one of the support techs at my web host helped me get them all back to being safe.

 

[parkdalegardener]

The same issue persisted here at Hivewire for a long time. I use software different than Norton which I have no faith in due to their own bad history and had the same issues. This website is unsafe and has been blocked my scanners said. There is a site certificate here now; but there was not. For a long time. A year or so maybe, my scanners flipped out any time I tried to access hivewire3d.com. How did Norton let you in here at that time, or did you not use it then? Seems to me that it started here about the same time the EU cookie laws went into force and that wasn't yesterday. Could be wrong though. I'm getting old and forgetful. Complete trust in the machine takes control from you and does not assure that your best interests are being assured. That's how malware works. I access FA every day. Never had a problem. I left PFD and couldn't care less how they fare.

 

[DanaTA]

I can get to TheFantasiesAttic.net without warnings from Norton at all. pfdlives.com is still blocked. FA does not have an SSL certificate, so that may not be the issue. I am leaning toward the reason being it's on a new server...or that the server is deemed unsafe for some reason. If most visitors are no using Norton, then the problem may never be solved. By the way, their emails to me are not being blocked or sent to the junk folder. I do read the text of the posts that way, but, of course, can't reply to them or see the artwork in the posts.

Dana

 

[Miss B]

How did Norton let you in here at that time, or did you not use it then?

Norton didn't stop me from accessing the HW forum/website, but I could see a warning sign (an exclamation point inside a triangle) up in the address bar instead of the "safe" lock that I now see on my sites, and here at HW.

I run Spybot Search & Destroy regularly for malware. I never disliked Norton, but have been apprehensive about their Lifelock addon.

 

[DanaTA]

Norton didn't stop me from accessing the HW forum/website, but I could see a warning sign (an exclamation point inside a triangle) up in the address bar instead of the "safe" lock that I now see on my sites, and here at HW.

I run Spybot Search & Destroy regularly for malware. I never disliked Norton, but have been apprehensive about their Lifelock addon.

I remember that being the case, too. The exclamation mark in the triangle, here at first. I got that at thefantasiesattic just now, too, but was still able to view it without being blocked.

Lifelock is simply an identity theft protection. The two companies merged, to provide more comprehensive protection to their respective customers.

Dana

 

[darkangel]

Well, I have no idea what it could be other than the old server was PHP 5.6 and now it is default PHP 7.3+

There are many things that needed to be upgraded and reinstalled due to the PHP. So Maybe in the browser NOT just Nortons you can add the PFD link as allowed or get a different less invasive browser. I know that with these latest updates to FireFox I have not been able to access several of my links to the bank I use and water department and other sites....but that is a FF deal cause they are accessible in Waterfox, Chrome and Safari

Try writing to Norton support to find out what is the solution for you to do.

 

[eclark1894]

The link in my directory is still not working.