The Web Foundation wants to kill malicious websites for good

While the web is a wonderful thing, there are those who want to take advantage of users through deceptive design choices or “dark patters”. 

The Web Foundation's Tech Policy Design Lab is working on some ideas to help reduce these practices, including by producing a portfolio of UX and UI website builder tools that can be used in place of deceptive practices. 

“Everything we do online is influenced by how the tools we use are built,” the project states. “Deceptive design are practices built into user interfaces that obscure or impair consumer autonomy or choice and can alter decision-making or trick users into taking actions they might not otherwise take. This harmful design phenomenon is unfortunately widespread today.” 

Dark patterns

“In the coming months, we’ll gather evidence of the harms of dark patterns, including who these practices impact the most, and how they affect the most marginalised communities in particular,” says the project. 

TechCrunch spoke to some of those behind the initiative, including Kaushalya Gupta, who leads the programme at the Policy Design Lab, who said the goal was to bring “human-centered design” to the web. 

The project will bring together various different organisations and groups to help work out some ideas. The end result should – hopefully – be some more user-focused decisions. The initiative was launched after polling thousands of organisations, whittling down 200 topics to “deceptive designs”. 

Analysis: Beware! Deception is everywhere

Deceptive designs, or dark patterns, are everywhere on the web. They occur so often that there's even a Twitter account, @darkpatterns, dedicated to documenting them. 

Newspapers such as The New York Times, for example, require users to actually call up to cancel a subscription that was started online. Amazon often pushes users towards signing up for Prime. Indian company Byju's offers subscriptions that look free but aren't. Adobe charges users huge fees to cancel subscriptions. 

The list goes on and on and the end result is that users lose – often monetarily. 

There is a long way to go, and perhaps this project will turn into nothing, but the increasing recognition of the problem, coupled with actual solutions, is definitely a step in the right direction. 

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

The Web Foundation wants to kill malicious websites for good

While the web is a wonderful thing, there are those who want to take advantage of users through deceptive design choices or “dark patters”. 

The Web Foundation's Tech Policy Design Lab is working on some ideas to help reduce these practices, including by producing a portfolio of UX and UI website builder tools that can be used in place of deceptive practices. 

“Everything we do online is influenced by how the tools we use are built,” the project states. “Deceptive design are practices built into user interfaces that obscure or impair consumer autonomy or choice and can alter decision-making or trick users into taking actions they might not otherwise take. This harmful design phenomenon is unfortunately widespread today.” 

Dark patterns

“In the coming months, we’ll gather evidence of the harms of dark patterns, including who these practices impact the most, and how they affect the most marginalised communities in particular,” says the project. 

TechCrunch spoke to some of those behind the initiative, including Kaushalya Gupta, who leads the programme at the Policy Design Lab, who said the goal was to bring “human-centered design” to the web. 

The project will bring together various different organisations and groups to help work out some ideas. The end result should – hopefully – be some more user-focused decisions. The initiative was launched after polling thousands of organisations, whittling down 200 topics to “deceptive designs”. 

Analysis: Beware! Deception is everywhere

Deceptive designs, or dark patterns, are everywhere on the web. They occur so often that there's even a Twitter account, @darkpatterns, dedicated to documenting them. 

Newspapers such as The New York Times, for example, require users to actually call up to cancel a subscription that was started online. Amazon often pushes users towards signing up for Prime. Indian company Byju's offers subscriptions that look free but aren't. Adobe charges users huge fees to cancel subscriptions. 

The list goes on and on and the end result is that users lose – often monetarily. 

There is a long way to go, and perhaps this project will turn into nothing, but the increasing recognition of the problem, coupled with actual solutions, is definitely a step in the right direction. 

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Namecheap offers free web hosting and domain registration to Russian anti-war websites

Namecheap is offering free anonymous domain registration and web hosting to all protest and anti-war websites in Russia or Belarus.

The domain registrar firm tweeted the free services will be available effective immediately in response to a call for nationwide war protests in Russia by Russian lawyer Alexei Navalny.

The news follows an earlier decision by Namecheap to terminate its Russian customers’ domain and web hosting services following the invasion of Ukraine – with the company’s initial deadline of March 6 extended by three further weeks. 

Free hosting for protest sites  

Namecheap said its decision to offer free domain and web hosting services is to help make it easier to share information online and take action against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The company has previously also made exceptions for unique circumstances such as free press, information sources and essential health services.

A spokesperson from Namcheap told TechRadar Pro that the company has a substantial number of team members and colleagues in Ukraine who are currently being bombed and attacked by Russia. 

“In good conscience, we couldn’t standby and directly or indirectly support the Russian regime by doing business there any longer,” he added.

Russian and Belarusian customers who are standing up to their regime will have access to Nameheap’s customer service for more information.

“We all must do what we can to stop the war crimes that are being committed every day against the innocent people of Ukraine,” said Richard Kirkendall, Namecheap CEO. 

“Our hope is that by offering these services in an anonymous way, with no strings attached, that people within Russia that are currently under threat to not speak up against this war are able to organize and do so in a way that may minimize reprisals.”

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

New Elementor Cloud Website tool lets web creators build WordPress websites faster

Creating a WordPress website requires the technicality of finding a reliable web hosting provider, choosing a compatible domain name, and picking a powerful website builder. 

There is a steep learning curve for newbies and a tedious workflow even for veterans. Beyond the sheer technical challenge of getting started with a WordPress site, there are a number of financial factors that add a layer to this already complex process. 

Elementor Cloud Website has been launched specifically to alleviate this complex process.

With Elementor Cloud Website, Web Creators can use the all-in-one website builder tool to create websites faster and more efficiently using a single end-to-end solution that includes a code-free builder, first-class hosting, and the ability to connect domain names at no extra cost. 

Elementor Cloud Website features

Elementor now offers an all-in-one website builder kit (Image credit: Elementor)

Building something online isn’t all that different from the real world — to get started you need a plot of land, an address, and finally a house. Similarly, the virtual world requires a hosting provider, a domain name, and a website. Each of these parts can be purchased either individually or collectively.

Website building challenges

1. Choosing a WordPress hosting plan can be even more challenging to navigate with hidden costs, Secure Socket Layer (SSL) requirements (essential when conducting online transactions), storage limits, and other limitations. Not to mention deciding between managed hosting, shared hosting, and cloud hosting.

2. Registering a domain name is one of the hidden costs of website building. The cost fluctuates depending on the domain name's potential popularity. This is a vital part of any website set up as a name can affect branding, SEO, and how easily audiences can search and find you. It is important to note that some hosting providers even charge extra for connecting a custom domain name.

3. Finding the best platform to build your website is crucially the most important factor once visitors land on your website. There are many web creation platforms available, with the majority of them operating on their own closed CMS system. A closed CMS system often ties people into one product with accelerating price hikes annually. Leaving these systems usually means starting from scratch. Additionally, a closed system makes it nearly impossible to find enhancements from third parties.

Web creators demand an open-source ecosystem, with a secure and high-performing hosting service, where they can build websites freely. Elementor Cloud Website is exactly that. With secure built-in hosting,  Elementor Cloud Website empowers web creators to focus on what matters — creating your perfect website. 

An Elementor Cloud Website is 100% WordPress. You get seamless hosting, WordPress pre-installed, a world-class, secure platform, and all the storage you need, plus the choice to connect it to any external domain at no extra cost.

With Elementor Cloud Website, there's no additional installation required. You also have full ownership of your content. There are no hidden fees as the subscription is a fixed price charged annually, making Elementor Cloud Website an all-in-one solution for your web creation needs.

 Elementor Cloud Website as a solution

Elementor Cloud Website is for Web Creators who want to focus solely on creating a good website. An all-in-one solution, Elementor Cloud Website-built in features relieve web creators of the need to pursue third-party fundamental WordPress services. 

It is a cost-effective choice for anybody constructing websites for customers by revamping and facilitating the handoff process.

Web Creators can get started right away with an Elementor Cloud Website because it comes pre-installed with WordPress CMS, Elementor Pro features, and the Hello Theme. With the technical logistics covered by Elementor, Web Creators can simply add their personal touch and launch when ready.

This allows you to take control of your online presence with the option to connect your own domain at no additional cost, as well as the ability to easily export your website if you ever decide to switch services.

Elementor Cloud Websites have the highest security requirements and certifications available (SSL certification by DigiCert). You also have the option to import your own if you choose. Every Elementor Cloud Website is automatically backed up every 24 hours. Additionally, Elementor gives a unique code that may be used to access your website while it is being updated.

 What’s Included in the subscription? 

All features that are currently available in the Elementor Pro plugin such as its 100+ widgets, kits, and templates, are included in the Elementor Cloud Website subscription. In addition, you'll get round-the-clock support for everything in one place, whether it's issues with the Editor or technicalities about the Hosting. That means you'll only have to make one phone call to find solutions.

The fact that Elementor Cloud Website comes with built-in hosting from Google Cloud Platform means you enjoy the same top-of-the-line service Google uses. Additionally, utilizing CDN by Cloudflare's global network of secure servers means website visitors are automatically sent to the server that is nearest to them, delivering the best possible experience.

An Elementor Cloud Website may be built and published for US$ 99 per year. Since Elementor Cloud Website is hosted using Google Cloud Platform, it comes with its best-in-class features. It also includes a built-in free SSL from DigiCert and offers a generous 100K monthly visits, 20GB of storage, and a bandwidth of 100GB.

Create WordPress websites even faster

With Elementor Cloud Website, Web Creator's jobs will be streamlined, profitable, and more enjoyable as it will nullify (or at least mitigate) much of the bureaucratic and technical hassles that arise when creating WordPress websites.

Packed with all the power of Elementor Pro features, it offers Web Creators a visual, intuitive website building experience backed by over 100 powerful widgets. The accompanying cloud-based web hosting service will serve the needs of virtually any client as it runs on the universal Google Cloud Platform, including CDN by CloudFlare meaning which automatically optimizes every visitor experience. 

Providing built-in SSL from DigiCert, automatic and manual backup, as well as the option to connect to a custom domain at no extra cost, means this is now the most comprehensive web creation platform on WordPress, sans none.

Elementor Cloud Website is set to revolutionize how WordPress website projects are organized.  By streamlining their workflow, removing technical setup barriers, and simplifying hand-off to clients, Elementor now offers Web Creators a solution that lets them focus on what they do best: Create websites and design the future.

Elementor Cloud Website FAQs 

Who is Elementor Cloud Websites for?

Elementor Cloud Websites are great for Web Creators who want to focus on creating a professional website without the headaches that come with connecting each of its primary components. 

This all-in-one solution is incredibly cost-effective and provides everything you need in one spot. It is also an excellent choice for anybody constructing websites for customers because it facilitates the handoff process and makes it simple to maintain. 

What’s the difference between the Elementor Cloud Website and the Elementor Plugin?

There are two distinct approaches to building a website with Elementor.

1. Elementor Plugin: To take advantage of all of Elementor Pro’s features, you can download and install the Elementor plugin. You will also need to purchase hosting with a WordPress installation separately.

2. Elementor Cloud Website: This is a new way to create a website with an end-to-end solution that includes all of the benefits of Elementor Pro, as well as hosting and WordPress installation. The fast setup is a simpler experience that saves you time while creating a stunning website.

Where can I manage everything related to my website on Elementor?

Everything can be managed from the My Elementor dashboard. You can access your WordPress dashboard from there, as well as connect a custom domain, configure your primary domain, toggle Site Lock on and off, manage backups, restore the website if necessary, and do a variety of other useful tasks.

Where is Elementor Cloud Websites hosted?

Your website is fully hosted on Elementor servers in Belgium. We undertake all the heavy lifting surrounding server maintenance so you can focus on constructing your website.

CDN is a service we provide to ensure that your website is available and performing at its best. As a result, we provide you with a network of servers and data centers that is geographically scattered. The material is served from a CDN rather than the origin server, and if one location becomes unavailable, the content is served from another. 

Applications can withstand increased traffic levels when content is dispersed across several sites throughout the world. Website owners should be aware that various nations may have varying information security standards and server location legislation.

Are there any hidden fees?

No, there aren’t any extra charges. The subscription is a one-time fee that is charged annually and covers all of the aforementioned services.

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More