Some of my embedded content from other sites doesn't show in Myplace. Why not?
Problem
On your browser, the Myplace URL now begins with HTTPS. You want to know why, and how it effects embedded content from other sites.
From 17-18 academic year all Myplace pages will be switched to running completely on HTTPS from HTTP
Please be aware that this change may require you to change some content on your Myplace classes.
What is HTTPS?
HTTPS is a protocol that most web pages now run with. It provides authentication of the website and associated web server so you can be secure in the knowledge when you connect to Myplace you aren't vulnerable to a 'man-in-the-middle' attack. Additionally it provides encryption both ways, again ensuring that a 3rd party cannot intercept data for malicious purposes. See the wikipedia page for further details.
Why are we doing this?
Most websites on the internet now use HTTPS. As we share more and more personal data online in new and varied ways cyber-security is becoming of far greater concern. As a University service which is core to the student and teaching staff experience, the VLE has to be as secure as possible. If not we run the risk of attacks for various reasons, from plagiarism to an attempt to secure 'phishing' data that could be used to commit identity fraud.
For some time now Google has been campaigning for HTTPS Everywhere which means more and more all websites will begin to move to the more secure protocol as it will affect their Google ranking.
How will this affect my Myplace content?
For most content, this will have no effect. There are a few pieces of content that may be problematic. Generally speaking this will be video or other embedded content that currently sits on a website which does't use the HTTPS protocol.
For example if you embedded this interactive video (http://eelslap.com/) on your Myplace page, this will not work because the web address starts with http.
However if you have embedded this YouTube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7NPElLQwgw) your content will work fine because YouTube uses HTTPS.
The majority of embedded content on Myplace is from Youtube, EStream or other HTTPS sites which are now in the majority.
What do I have to do to prepare?
Simply, you just need to check the content for your Myplace over the summer. The new version of Myplace will be created on the 14th of June so after this point you will have access to the next academic years classes. Check your class to make sure everything is working as expected.
If you have any concerns or need any advice about your content, please contact us at learning-technologies@strath.ac.uk and we will contact you directly to help you with it.
We will also run several workshops over the summer to highlight the various changes in the updated version of Myplace and this will include time for staff to check their sites and get one-to-one assistance in fixing any problems.
