Safer Internet: Browsing: Go to the Correct Site

Quotes

What kind of doctor fixes broken websites?... A URLologist.
"You step in the stream,
but the water has moved on.
This page is not here.

The Web site you seek
cannot be located but
endless others exist.

This site has been moved.
We'd tell you where, but then we'd
have to delete you." ~Haiku error messages
"The truth is that these companies [social media behemoths]...

Summary

[1] Navigate to Valid Sites via bookmarks, password managers, search engines
[1] Avoid Impostor and Malicious Sites, e.g., don't type in URLs, don't click on links in emails or popups
[1] Enable Fraudulent Site Warnings, e.g., Phishing, Malware, Plugins
[1] Learn to Examine and Recognize URLs in status bar; prefer HTTPS:
[2] Access Shortened URLs Cautiously
[3] Find Old Versions of Pages or Sites via Web Archives e.g., "Wayback Machine" or search engine caches
References

[1] Navigate to Valid Sites

Use browser bookmarks/favorites or a password manager to navigate, rather than type or click on links
Use browser's built-in Search box, or combo Address field, rather than typing "google.com"
In search results, look for "Official Site" or at actual URL to determine if expected destination
Some search engines hide addresses in favor of more human readable names.
Avoid fake/conspiracy news sites (and this includes a lot of social media)
-- besides disinformation and wasting your time, they can be an avenue for malware.
Avoid DNS problems -- see section: Connection : Wi-Fi (Router)

[1] Avoid Insecure, Impostor and Malicious Sites

Typos & look-alike characters in site addresses (URLs) could lead you
to malicious, impostor sites -- or insecure versions (HTTP: vs. HTTPS:)
Think twice before clicking on links in an email
Think twice before clicking on links in popups, or unknown links in web pages,
esp. ads which might redirect you to look-alike sites
Quiz: Can you identify a phishing web site login?

[1] Enable Fraudulent Site Warnings

macOS: Safari > Preferences > Security > Fraudulent sites [screenshot]
macOS: Firefox > Preferences > Security > Block reported attack sites / web forgeries / add-ons
macOS: Chrome > Settings (advanced) > Privacy > Protect you and your device from dangerous sites
iOS: Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security > Fraudulent Website Warning [screenshot]
Enable phishing/malware/plugin warning: -- see section: Connection : Malware

[1] Learn to Examine and Recognize URLs

Show links in status bar; inspect before you click
macOS: Safari > View > Show Status Bar
Display full address (URL) in address/location bar
macOS: Safari > Preferences > Advanced > Show Full Website Address
iOS: Safari > (tap in address bar)
For secure sites, check HTTPS: and verify status (lock icon or certificate) -- see next section: Use HTTPS:

[2] Access Shortened URLs Cautiously

Due to shortening or normal redirects, you may not be seeing the 'real', final URL,
e.g., https://communicrossings.com/olli
https://bit.ly/20ICWYg, https://tinyurl.com/hg8776o
There are several sites that follow any redirects and display the final destination
e.g., CheckShortURL, Unshorten
If the URL was generated by:
Bitly: add a plus sign ('+') to the URL and Bitly will display a preview
TinyURL: place 'preview' in front of the shortened URL
Instead of this manual process, you could install a browser extension that displays final URL
via popup, status area (if overlap, hide regular status bar), or in-line (in page itself)
Safari: Ultimate Status Bar
Firefox: No Redirect, Long URL Please Mod
Chrome: LongURL

[3] Find Old Versions of Pages or Sites via Web Archives

What if a page or site has disappeared, or you want to see an older version?
e.g., some versions of my web site (currently: communicrossings.com) from past ~25 years --
most courtesy of the Internet Archive (aka Wayback Machine)
1993?-1998?: http://www.netaxs.com/~weyer
1999-2000: http://members.bellatlantic.net/~sweyer/
2001-2005: http://members.home.net/saweyer/
2001-2005: http://users.aol.com/steveweyer/DOS
2002-2004: http://home.comcast.net/~saweyer/
2002-2006: http://www.kagi.com:80/weyer;
http://mywebpages.comcast.net:80/saweyer/;
http://home.comcast.net:80/~saweyer/cc/index.htm
2010: http://communicrossings.com:80/
2011: http://communicrossings.com:80/
2015: http://communicrossings.com/ archive.is

References

{TCYOP-4: 84-85; TCYOP-3: 68-69}
sections: Refs: Dark Patterns; Fake,Hoax; Shortening Services; Web Archives
topics: cybersquatting, DNS hijacking, homographs, Snopes
Wikipedia: typosquatting aka URL hijacking; e.g., googl.com; URL redirection
HowStuffWorks: How to Detect Online Scams
Ever wonder how good you are at telling the difference between a legitimate website
and one that's a phishing attempt? fake vs. real login pages; OpenDNS
Google-hosted malvertising leads to fake Keepass site that looks genuine punycode; Google-verified advertiser + legit-looking URL + valid TLS cert = convincing look-alike; 10/19/2023; Ars
Google Chrome now detects typos in your URLs Verge; 5/18/2023
MapQuest and Other Internet Zombies NYT; 6/21/2022
The Ghost of the Soviet Union Still Haunts the Internet .su domain; Wired; 3/29/2022
The Best of 404PageFound, and Other Primitive '90s Websites That Still Exist LH; 12/14/2021
Bitflips when PCs try to reach windows.com: What could possibly go wrong?
domain names that vary by a single mutated character; Ars; 3/4/2021
New Research Reveals the Hidden Downsides of Link Previews
it can also leak sensitive data, consume bandwidth, and drain batteries; Wired; 10/28/2020
Researcher discovers address bar spoofing bugs in Safari, Opera, and Yandex,
all now fixed, but other popular browsers, like UC Browser, have not issued a patch TC; 10/20/2020
How to Block Bad Websites—or Just Get Things Done
block distractions and temptations: BlockSite, LeechBlock NG, Cold Turkey, Freedom; Wired; 10/11/2020
Wikipedia Is the Last Best Place on the Internet Wired; 2/17/2020

Dark Patterns

FTC study finds ‘dark patterns’ used by a majority of subscription apps and websites TC; 7/10/2024
Stopping the Manipulation Machines
hidden unsubscribe links; recurring subscriptions;
examples: Trick questions; Bait and switch;
Roach motel; Friend spam; Sneak into basket; NYT; 4/30/2021
How to Spot -- and Avoid -- Dark Patterns on the Web UX ploys designed to trick you
into spending money, or make it nearly impossible to unsubscribe; Wired; 7/29/2020

Fake News, Hoaxes

Wikipedia: Fake news; Fake news website; Snopes (aka Urban Legends Reference Pages)
How To Use Google's Fact Check Explorer To Verify Claims on the Web
True? False? Somewhere in between? Google's online tool will tell you
Giz; 1/23/2024
Fact Checkers Take Stock of Their Efforts: "It's Not Getting Better" NYT; 9/29/2023
A Better Way to Think About Conspiracies people will always be interested in conspiracy theories.
They need a tool kit for discriminating among different fringe ideas; NYT; 3/2/2021
Don't Go Down the Rabbit Hole
critical thinking, as we’re taught to do it, isn’t helping in the fight against misinformation; NYT; 2/18/2021
In a post-truth world, we need Wikipedia more than ever CNet; 1/15/2021
At 20, Wikipedia has become a refuge from Big Tech's misinformation CNet; 1/15/2021
Have Trump’s Lies Wrecked Free Speech? a debate has broken out over whether the
once-sacrosanct constitutional protection of the First Amendment has become a threat to democracy; 1/6/2021
It's only fake-believe: how to deal with a conspiracy theorist
1. Hunting an invisible dragon
2. Fake authority
3. Coincidence or covert operations?
4. False equivalence
5. The thought-terminating cliche
The art of pre-suasion; Guard; 11/29/2020
How to Talk to Friends and Family Who Share Conspiracy Theories NYT; 10/25/2020
Recognize Misinformation on the Internet
identifying reliable information online is especially urgent, and especially for seniors; NYT' 8/28/2020
How QAnon Creates a Dangerous Alternate Reality
conspiracy theory parallels the immersive worlds of alternate reality games; NYT; 8/5/2020
[2] Adobe's plans for an online content attribution standard could have big
implications for misinformation mostly images; TC; 8/3/2020
The anatomy of a fake news headline TNW; 7/12/2020
How to Spot a Conspiracy Theory
Contradictory ideas
Overriding suspicion
Nefarious intent;
"Something must be wrong";
Persecuted victim;
Immune to evidence;
Reinterpreting randomness; LH; 5/14/2020
Democrats counter Trump’s fake coronavirus news with AI that fought ISIS propaganda TNW; 5/4/2020
These Students Are Learning About Fake News and How to Spot It NYT; 2/20/2020
Reuters launches a new Reuters Fact Check business unit and blog and partners
with Facebook to review news headlines, deepfakes, and user generated content TC; 2/12/2012

Shortening Services

Wikipedia: URL shortening service;
Wikipedia: Bit.ly; TinyURL; Tr.im
sites: bit.ly; tinyurl.com; tr.im
Google's shortened links will stop working next year Verge; 7/19/2024
How to Know if a QR Code or a Short URL Is Safe
avoid QR codes until phone OS offers preview; LH; 1/13/2022

Web Archives

Wikipedia: Internet Archive, Wayback Machine;
Wikimedia Downloads
Internet Archive (aka Wayback Machine); 1996-
Library of Congress Web Archives 1997-
archive.is, perma.cc: submit individual pages (similar to the "save page now" feature at the Internet Archive)
conifer: create personal web archives (previously webrecorder.io)
Los Alamos National Laboratory Time Travel Service: query multiple web archives; 2002-
newspapers
timesmachine: 150 years of New York Times journalism
newspapers.com
Library of Congress: Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
The British Newspaper Archive
When Online Content Disappears
38% of webpages that existed in 2013 are no longer accessible a decade later;
8% of pages from 2023 are unavailable;
23% of news pages have at least one broken link; Pew; 5/17/2024
Google Won't Let You View Cached Web Pages Anymore (But You Still Can) cached:URL; LH; 2/8/2024
Google will no longer make site backups while crawling the web: Cached webpages are dead Ars; 2/2/2024
7 Fun Ways to Use the Internet Archive MF; 1/11/2024
The Dream Was Universal Access to Knowledge. The Result Was a Fiasco. Internet Archive vs. publishers; NYT; 8/13/2023
Wikipedia's Moment of Truth
can the online encyclopedia help teach A.I. chatbots to get their
facts right -- without destroying itself in the process? NYT; 7/18/2023
The World's Digital Memory Is at Risk NYT; 6/21/2023
A look at four publishers' lawsuit against the Internet Archive, which hinges on defining the legal ownership of ebooks
Just Because ChatBots Can’t Think Doesn’t Mean They Can’t Lie;
Or that they haven’t already started to pollute Google searches.
And if publishers win their lawsuit against the Internet Archive,
verifying facts and quotes will get a lot harder; Nation; 3/17/2023
Lost something? Search through 91.7 million files from the ’80s, '90s, and 2000s Discmaster; Verge; 10/19/2022
'Wayforward Machine' provides a glimpse into the future of the web
ongoing threats; Verge; 10/1/2021
A look at the Internet Archive, a preservation project that grew from 2TB in 1997 to ~100PB now
issues with scraping paywalled news sites and social media; FT; 10/4/2022
How to Read a Blocked Website
hide your real IP address with a proxy connection, e.g., VPN;
try using TOR (The Onion Browser); LH; 9/2/2022
Good Luck if You're Forced to Use These Hideous Federal Websites
throwbacks to the MySpace era; Giz; 7/16/2022
Travel Back in Time With Street View and Map Archives Wired; 7/10/2022
Russians Are Racing to Download Wikipedia Before It Gets Banned Slate; 3/21/2022
A profile of Brewster Kahle and the Internet Archive, which marked
its 25th anniversary earlier this year and is now home to over 70 PB of data TR; 12/19/2021
How to Get Past a Paywall to Read an Article for Free
Paste the headline in Google;
Try a Facebook redirect: https://facebook.com/l.php?u=URL
Open the link in an incognito window;
Disable JavaScript in your browser;
Edit a couple of elements on the webpage;
Use an annotation service, e.g., Outline;
Try browser add-ons;
Check out paywall bypass shortcuts on iPhone;
LH; 10/5/2021
The Wayback Machine's First Crawl 1996 video: 2:05; 8/6/2021
With the removal of Trump's Twitter account, many of his tweets embedded
on thousands of web pages were wiped out, creating an ultimate case of 'link rot' Verge; 1/9/2021
The Internet Archive starts adding banners on some Wayback Machine pages
with links that provide contextual information from fact-checking organizations 10/30/2020
How to Link Websites Without the Eventual Broken Links using WBM; LH; 9/8/2020
You Can Download the Entirety of English Wikipedia to Browse Offline Kiwix; CNet; 7/10/2020
The Internet Archive's VHS Vault will send you on a 90s nostalgia trip 20,000+ recordings; Verge; 2/28/2020
Brave browser now automatically points to Wayback Machine on 404 Verge; 2/26/2020
The Geocities Archive Is Bringing the Early Internet to Life MB; 1/27/2020

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