Are FreeSSL Certs Worthwhile?

santaclaws asks: "I'm considering using the free SSK certs available from FreeSSL. Do they work well enough in real life or are they a waste of time? Apparently, they only work with IE 5.01 browsers and later, so how will this affect the users of other browsers? I'd rather not have to keep paying for the privilege of using SSL, but I will if too many users freak out, so I don't want to sign my own certs. I'm hoping maybe this is a good compromise."

Re:WTF?

[camusflage]

Unfortunately, he won't get spanked (as he so richly deserves). The terse reply without any qualification, while not the best answer, will not be meta-modded as it should be.

Re:WTF?

[Morgon]

Its because you didn't proclaim "FIRST POST!"

Get the stats

[Chacham]

Don't you have the ability to check the server stats and see who is connecting and with what browser? If not, check other site's stats. Then make a decision on what browsers to support based on those numbers.

After you have that figured out, then ask what those browsers support and measure the costs.

FreeSSL is _not_ free after first year

[prenagha]

Read their webpage [freessl.com] carefully:

"You are not obligated to purchase anything to obtain a FreeSSL Web server certificate which is good for one year. And, if you wish to renew your FreeSSL Web server certificate next year,

a minimal fee will be charged."
(emphasis added)

Why not self-signed?

[pete-classic]

First, FreeSSL is a scam.

Second, you say you don't want to self sign, but you don't say why.

I use a couple of self signed certs, and they work great.

For now the situation is pay, or self sign and your users get nagged. Hopefully there will be a sane "webs of trust" based infrastructure built into browsers in the not-to-far future.

-Peter