In summer of 2014, Google called for "HTTPS Everywhere". Since that time, they've been skewing search results in favor of HTTPS sites, and scaring you about sites which aren't encrypted on Chrome's URL bar.

The best reason for going along with this is one I found on a website advocating for the change: "Everybody's doing it". Apparently, Google's motto has changed from "Don't Be Evil" to "Be a sheep".

When the web was started decades ago, it was all about open standards proposed by people who didn't particularly have any ax to grind about what brand of soap you used or where you went on vacation. Now the web is driven by a single company who has a lot to say about your choice of soap and your vacation destination.

The number one smartphone platform is Android, created by Google. Unless you're part of a small minority, your search results come from Google. The number two search site, Youtube, is also owned by Google. If your website has a mobile version, it's upranked in searches done on mobile devices by Google.

Do I really need to go into the evil that Google does? Do I need to detail what an overarching influence Google is in your life? I shouldn't have to. It should be blindingly obvious that Google is a monopoly which is focused on its bottom line and couldn't care less about you.

And because of its position, Google can and does dictate the shape of the web. Including whether you encrypt your website or not.

Let's be clear-- if you're conducting ecommerce or submitting personal information like your birthday to a website, encryption is a good idea. Beyond that, it's not.

When you do a search on Google, they automatically encrypt your search request and results. So no one else can see what you're searching for. Except Google.

Really?

I've built many many websites, almost all of which are "brochure" sites. That is, sites which show you information and don't ask you to buy anything or reveal personal information. In fact, most websites fall into the "brochure" category. Why in the world would such websites need to be encrypted?

HTTPS doesn't prevent someone from hacking your website, if they're capable and willing to do so. It doesn't prevent Google or your ISP from seeing you visited a site. So why should I encrypt my blog site or my company's site (if it's not an ecommerce site)? Because "everybody is doing it"?

How about if we stop being sheep? How about if we stop being Google's puppets? How about if we take a stand for sanity?

Yes, it's easier to go along.

But the wonderful thing about monopolies is that they're not just there to sell you stuff or to make money. They're there to control you. This has been true for every monopoly which has ever existed. At some point, a monopoly stops being about money and starts being about control. At the point where a monopoly can exert control, it begins to consider what other ways it could control your life and your thoughts.

Maybe you like being controlled and manipulated. I don't. And I don't like the fact that other people are being controlled either.

I don't need my website "secured". Do you?