As Blogger becomes both easier to use, and more full of features, it becomes an application with more code that runs on our computers.
The code on our computers requires both cookies and scripts, installed on our computers as we use the various Blogger utilities. The cookies and scripts are increasingly susceptible to damage, from improperly implemented layered security.
The most visible component in our layered security strategy is the browser - and one of the simplest settings, that you can check when diagnosing a problem - is the browser cookie filter.
Cookies and scripts are considered separately, and differently, for each different browser. When we also consider the multiple domains used by Blogger, and differing trust levels for each domain, we see how complex layered security is to maintain, on any computer.
To start, be careful to allow the non "blogspot.com" alias that may be relevant to your country.
With Chrome, you enable cookies and scripts from Settings. In Settings, if necessary, click on "Show advanced settings" at the very bottom of the page. Under Privacy, click on "Content settings", which gives you the "Content Settings" wizard. Here, you have selections for Cookies and Javascript - including "Manage exceptions" for each section. Select the recommendations.
With Firefox, you enable cookies from the browser menu, using Tools - Options - Privacy.
Firefox does not contain any native script filters. The most popular add-on for Firefox is NoScript, and this is how most Firefox users filter scripts. You'll need to designate "blogger.com", "google.com", and any Google domain excepting "blogspot.com", as trusted - when you load any display for the domain in question. An untrusted domain will show a "NoScript Untrusted" icon in the status area at the bottom of the window. To enable each domain, you position the cursor over the NoScript icon and select "Allow (domain URL)" in the popup menu.
With Internet Explorer, you enable security settings - both cookies and scripts - from the browser menu, using Tools - Internet Options. Optionally, you may access the "Internet Options" applet directly from the Windows Control Panel.
With Opera, you enable cookies and scripts from the Advanced tab, in the Preferences wizard. The Content menu contains selections for scripting. The Cookies menu contains selections for cookies.
With Safari, you enable cookies and scripts from the Preferences wizard. The Security icon, in Preferences, contains selections for cookies ("Accept cookies"), and for scripts ("Web content"). Select "Always" for "Accept cookies", to enable third party cookie access.
Note that these are known settings, for specified browsers. Both Firefox and Internet Explorer allow additional add-ons, which are installed at the decision of the computer owner. Cookie and script management is one popular add-on function - and comes under many different names. You, the computer owner, must be responsible for any add-ons which you install.
Remember to restart the browser, after changing any filtering settings.
The code on our computers requires both cookies and scripts, installed on our computers as we use the various Blogger utilities. The cookies and scripts are increasingly susceptible to damage, from improperly implemented layered security.
The most visible component in our layered security strategy is the browser - and one of the simplest settings, that you can check when diagnosing a problem - is the browser cookie filter.
Cookies and scripts are considered separately, and differently, for each different browser. When we also consider the multiple domains used by Blogger, and differing trust levels for each domain, we see how complex layered security is to maintain, on any computer.
To start, be careful to allow the non "blogspot.com" alias that may be relevant to your country.
With Chrome, you enable cookies and scripts from Settings. In Settings, if necessary, click on "Show advanced settings" at the very bottom of the page. Under Privacy, click on "Content settings", which gives you the "Content Settings" wizard. Here, you have selections for Cookies and Javascript - including "Manage exceptions" for each section. Select the recommendations.
- Cookies: Allow local data to be set
- JavaScript: Allow all sites to run JavaScript
With Firefox, you enable cookies from the browser menu, using Tools - Options - Privacy.
- Under History, ensure that "Firefox will:" is set to "Use custom settings for history". That will give you an array of settings.
- Ensure all settings are selected, except "Clear history when Firefox closes".
- Hit "Exceptions", and ensure that "blogger.com" and "google.com" are given "Allow" status.
- Ensure that "Keep until:" is set to "they expire".
- Hit "OK" to save settings.
- Note that any Firefox add-ons which filter cookies, and offer more detailed options, will have to be dealt with, separately.
Firefox does not contain any native script filters. The most popular add-on for Firefox is NoScript, and this is how most Firefox users filter scripts. You'll need to designate "blogger.com", "google.com", and any Google domain excepting "blogspot.com", as trusted - when you load any display for the domain in question. An untrusted domain will show a "NoScript Untrusted" icon in the status area at the bottom of the window. To enable each domain, you position the cursor over the NoScript icon and select "Allow (domain URL)" in the popup menu.
With Internet Explorer, you enable security settings - both cookies and scripts - from the browser menu, using Tools - Internet Options. Optionally, you may access the "Internet Options" applet directly from the Windows Control Panel.
- IE uses a zone defense setting, where you designate "blogger.com" and "google.com", in Security, as being in the Trusted zone. Please note that "blogspot.com" should not be in the Trusted zone.
- Default settings for the Trusted zone will allow proper filtering of scripts.
- Verify proper settings, with "Trusted sites" selected, and the Security level slider control set to "Medium". Hit "Custom level", and examine the Settings list.
- Look for the "Scripting" section, 3/4 of the way to the bottom of the list.
- You will observe 6 options under "Scripting". Default settings will have all options Enabled, except "Allow Programmatic clipboard access"; you may wish to Enable this to allow easy use of Post Editor.
- Hit "OK", and "Yes" if necessary, then "OK" again.
- You enable Cookies under the "Privacy" tab.
- Set the Privacy slider to "Medium".
- Hit the "Advanced" button, and examine the "Advanced Privacy Settings".
- Both "First party Cookies" and "Third party Cookies" should be set to "Accept".
With Opera, you enable cookies and scripts from the Advanced tab, in the Preferences wizard. The Content menu contains selections for scripting. The Cookies menu contains selections for cookies.
With Safari, you enable cookies and scripts from the Preferences wizard. The Security icon, in Preferences, contains selections for cookies ("Accept cookies"), and for scripts ("Web content"). Select "Always" for "Accept cookies", to enable third party cookie access.
Note that these are known settings, for specified browsers. Both Firefox and Internet Explorer allow additional add-ons, which are installed at the decision of the computer owner. Cookie and script management is one popular add-on function - and comes under many different names. You, the computer owner, must be responsible for any add-ons which you install.
Remember to restart the browser, after changing any filtering settings.
Comments
Any other suggestions? This is a new comp so maybe something else needs to be changed also.
Thank you for all the help you offer.
It's there - when you are not already there! If the Settings page is short (maybe 1 1/2 display screens high), it's a subtle link at the very bottom of the page.
If the Settings page is more like 3 - 4 display screens high, you're in Advanced Settings mode, already.
You'll see the differnece, once you get used to it.
I know that this is frustrating - it's the same, here.
In one of your forum posts, you mentioned that you have no profile - in addition to having no Reading List. That pretty much rules out a simple Reading List problem.
You really need to look at filtering, beyond just the browser setting.
http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2010/11/blogger-layered-security-and-you.html
Thanks for your question, it's a valid concern.
The problem here is that this article discusses enabling cookies and scripts in the browser - as if the browser always contains the only settings that affect cookies and scripts.
Every computer does not only rely on only browser security settings. Many use a layered security strategy, where each layer contains various filters.
Every computer, owned by a different person, will have its own combination of security products - and each different program has to be checked, for different filter settings.
That is the problem faced by many blog owners - and why many blog owners can't use Blogger. And it's why many blog owners become pissed off at my advice - even though they are the cause of their problems.
http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2010/11/blogger-layered-security-and-you.html
http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2006/12/securing-your-browser-and-painting.html