What a verified connection tells you
A certificate check connects a secure session to the requested name. The page returned inside that session still deserves its own review.
The complete index
Notes
Notes on a verified connection and the observations that belong beside it.
Begin with any of these seven notes. The section list and neighbouring readings offer a route back when a question changes.
Read a failure one layer at a time
A connection can fail before a name is resolved, during a secure handshake or after a request arrives. Naming the layer narrows the next check.
Keep names and addresses separate
A name is a durable label. An address is one answer about where to try a connection. Treating them as separate observations makes a problem easier to describe.
Why a refresh can show an older page
A browser may reuse stored content instead of transferring it again. A refresh is therefore an observation about both the website and the browser's local state.
Keep a useful observation
A useful observation begins with a small question. Decide which result would help answer it before choosing what to collect.
Leave a connection check easy to repeat
A short record of the question, conditions and result is usually more reusable than a large collection of unexplained output.
Read a reference note with a question in hand
A reference page is easier to use when you know which decision it should help you make. Reading can be a small, directed part of the work.