Blogger, Internet Explorer, And The Zone Based Defense

This week in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken, we're seeing another round of frustration coming from blog owners who use Internet Explorer

I can't see my Followers.

and

I keep getting logged out, when I try to access my blog!

and

I can't publish to my blog - it just keeps spinning!!

and

The Template Designer never loads - all that I see if the big "B" in the middle of the screen!!!

All of these reports, combined with understanding of what last Tuesday was, to users of Microsoft products, hints of yet another problem with layered security on our computers, and another set of Microsoft Security Updates.

Some blog owners, oblivious of the details involved, will require immediate, and detailed attention to their problem.

Just tell me, in nice simple terms, what settings I should check or change!

Here is where the security analysts, and the Geek Computer Repair experts, need to step up to the plate, and educate the computer owners - so they do not keep painting their computers into a corner of security "wet paint" based problems.

The problem here is that, if you use Internet Explorer, the problems that you may be seeing will be unique to your computer - because of how you use your computer. There are no nice, simple settings that will be both

• Effective.
• Immediate.
• Universally applicable.

to everybody. If you use Firefox, or any other non Microsoft browser - but on a computer that runs Microsoft Windows - some Microsoft Security Updates may apply to you too.

From your Microsoft Windows Control Panel, look at "Internet Options". Alternately, within Internet Explorer, Tools - "Internet Options" will get you the same thing - the "Internet Properties" wizard. Look at the Security tab, in the wizard.

In Security, you'll see 4 defense zones.

1. Internet.
2. Local intranet.
3. Trusted sites.
4. Restricted sites.

You should consider these 4 zones, in terms of how much you can trust content from domains in each zone.

1. Local intranet. These are computers, and domains, that you / somebody near you owns and maintains. If you trust any computers, these are the ones that you will trust, the most, as you should trust yourself / your employer, your brother, friend, sister....
2. Trusted sites. These are domains on the Internet, maintained and provided by companies that you, inherently, trust. All corporations, though, will frequently make decisions what is best for themselves. You can somewhat trust Google or Microsoft - but not as completely, as you should trust yourself / your employer, your brother, friend, sister...
3. Internet. 99% of the domains that you access will remain in this zone. By default, you will trust them - but only as far as you must, to see the specific content that you require.
4. Restricted sites. If you must access untrusted domains (my advice is to avoid even surfing their websites), you should trust them very little.

Within the choice of these 4 defense zones, you should consider the various domains which provide you access to, and use of, Blogger and Google. Each different Blogger / Google domain will be, appropriately, maintained within 1 of the 4 zones. And which zone each domain is maintained within (and the various zone settings), on your personal computer, will affect how well you are able to

• Login to Blogger.
• Publish to Blogger.
• Use the Template Designer.
• Use Following.
• Many other abilities.

>> Top