[snowflake22]

I was wondering how a website is able to notify a person in email about something if you sign up to get notified from that site. I mean for instance some sites will let you get notified each time a person posts something on the site such as AMHD, other sites you can subscribe to something and they will send you an email daily or weekly, etc. I mean does a human have to send all the email notifications to people or is it an automated type of system that sends out hundreds and thousands of emails to people.

If you order something online how does the website the company has notify them when someone ordered something from them.

Is the following true.
I heard that if you see a lock and key on the website you know the site is secure. I also heard that when you order something that the info you share for the order is encrypted. If that is the case than how is the info encrypted and if it is does the company really know for instance a persons credit card number.

Is it hard for a person to create a website so others can go to it.

[Lowtax4eva]

Wow, that's a lot of questions, yes all the email updates from this and other sites would be automated. You put in your email and when it adds something to your profile (like a reply on a thread you registered for) it sends the reply to your email.

Encryption turns your email (or purchase info) into unreadable data and only the holder of the decryption code can make it readable again so for puchases you enter your name, credit card # etc, it then gets turned into a bunch of random characters so that in case someone hacks into the purchasing system they can't read your info. Once the order is received the seller's computer transforms the data back to the original state.

Encryption - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[ScottGem]

First, all this is done via programming. There are scripts or programming code behind the websites that manage the process of sending information. For example, AMHD's notification procedure might work something like this:

Trigger: post is submitted
Test: Are there subscribers to thread
Action: If Yes, send e-mail notice to subscribers, else do nothing

The above might take several lines of programming code depending on the programming language used.

There are a number of different ways to program a site. Some sites might have an interface into their inhouse order system, so that the WEB generated transaction automatically goes there. Others, might generate an e-mail which goes to a data entry clerk to enter into the inhouse system (my daughter works for such a firm). Others may have the WEB as their only outlet and use a "shopping cart" system to process orders. There are many ways to skin a cat.

Yes, If you see a lock in the lower right, that indicates a secure site. The website URL will also be https instead http. The programming of the site contains an encryption key that matches the one used by the recipient, so only the recipient or someone with the encryption key caqn unencrypt it.

[snowflake22]

Encryption turns your email (or purchase info) into unreadable data and only the holder of the decryption code can make it readable again so for puchases you enter your name, credit card # etc, it then gets turned into a bunch of random characters so that in case someone hacks into the purchasing system they can't read your info. Once the order is received the seller's computer transforms the data back to the original state.

Encryption - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If what you said is true than once the encryption is turned back into it's original state does that mean for instance the person who receives the online order knows the persons credit card number. If someone tries to hack into a purchasers system than how would they not be able to get credit card info if the date turns back to the original state once the purchaser receives the order.

Yes, If you see a lock in the lower right, that indicates a secure site. the website URL will also be https instead http. The programming of the site contains an encryption key that matches the one used by the recipient, so only the recipient or someone with the encryption key caqn unencrypt it.

How can what you said about the lock and key indicate a secure site? How can adding an s at the end of the http help that part of the site be secure?

[ScottGem]

You've got to understand something about sites like this. We are not here to teach. We are here to answer specific questions. If you want to learn a subject in depth, then you need to take courses or do extensive research. Another thing you have to realize is that you have to walk before you can run. This means that you have to have a basic understanding of certain things before you can understand higher concepts based on the basics. For example, you can't understand algebra until you understand arithmetic.

Yes, if someone hacks into the retailers systems and gets customer records they may be able to get credit cards numbers. There have actually been cases of that happening. Companies use various methods to try and prevent it.

To understand how secure sites work, you have to understand the basic concepts behind the internet and the WEB. Try doing a WEB search on HTTPS and you can learn more about it. In fact, you will probably learn more by searching for the terms you don't understand. That is a great way to learn, its also a lot of fun as you just follow wherever you are led by looking up term after term.

The lock and key question is another example of your not thinking things through. How does someone know which is the men's room and which is the women's? How does someone know when its OK to cross a street? Its because of symbols! We are trained that certain symbols mean certin things. A closed lock symbol means something is locked or secure. A stick figure with a skirt indicates a woman's room, without, the men's room. Green means Go!

Again, if you want people to answer your questions, you have to show that you are making an effort to understand the answers.

[snowflake22]

How does a person who wants a website decide if they should put .com, org, or .net at the end of the website URL? Can someone give me 2 examples for each website type I brought up? Is .com a commercial website and does .net mean network and if so what is considered a network for the website URL to use .net.


Does it cost money to get a website online for others to see and is it hard to find out if the name of the website you want to use has already been used?

[NeedKarma]

Start here: About Internet for Beginners: Your Complete Guide to Being Online.
Read up on what you need to know. You can navigate that site for answers to all sorts or basic internet-related questions.

[retsoksirhc]

Try Google. There are lots of links with lots of information there.
domain suffixes - Google Search
URL suffixes - Google Search

Some general informatino about domains: Domain name - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And here is some information about web hosting: Web hosting service - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[ScottGem]

How does a person who wants a website decide if they should put .com, .org, or .net at the end of the website URL? Can someone give me 2 examples for each website type I brought up? Is .com a commercial website and does .net mean network and if so what is considered a network for the website URL to use .net.


Does it cost money to get a website online for others to see and is it hard to find out if the name of the website you want to use has already been used?

When the top level domain (TLD) naming conventions were established; .com was for a commercial site, org intended for a non profit organization and .net intended for ISPs. In addition there were also .educ for educational institutions, mil for the military and .gov for government sites.

However, there was no checking to see whether someone registering as .com, org or .net were using the TLDs correctly. Since then more TLDs have been added like .biz, info, etc.

There are some free places that allow you to put up a site, most of them require that you include some advertising for the site. Otherwuse, you have to pay for a domain name and a WEB hosting service.

All the registrars (those authorized to sell domain names), like netsol.com, godaddy.com, and others have a lookup facility to check if a name has been used.