Is Cornica unsafe?
Your browser might have told you so - or outright blocked access if you're coming from a modern machine. The assumption here is that if a website offers no encryption, it is somehow unsafe to use.

I could call this a big nonsense but then I'd only water down the subject much in the way the "big guys" like Google and others do. Here's the truth: It depends on what you're doing. If you want to hide something from the public, it's generally a good idea to use the best encryption you have at your hands.

An even better solution is to not put it out in the public, but in the case of online banking or an online shop that works with credit card numbers this might not be an option.

The issue I take is when a website with content that is supposedly open for everyone starts locking out people who don't want or can't use encryption in classic paternalism. ("we know what's best for you!")

Some self-proclaimed "security pro" might tell you that encryption avoids data corruption e.g. via a so-called man-in-the-middle attack. They tend to ignore that by far the easiest way to corrupt data on a website is to manipulate data on the server. And just about anyone with an idea of how IT things work knows that. Be sure, that especially includes "bad guys", the NSA, Russia, China, North Korea and others.

So more often then not encryption ends up effectively protecting corrupted data coming from a compromised server. Almost like irony, isn't it?

That said, you can intercept a data stream live. I could learn what your password is. But that would require either (physical) access to your LAN or the underground cable (or overland lines) going to your house. Go figure yourself if that is very practical. Sure, infesting your computer with a trojan / virus is another (and easier) option but that's outside of the topic of encryption anyway.

So slapping a SSL certificate onto a website and forcing users to use https is the effective protection it is publized as? No.

Cornica has nothing to hide. Cornica is open to the public. Cornica intends to be inclusive, to allow computers of (nearly) all ages to access Quicktime movie trailers, commercials & more. Hence, Cornica will continue to offer its content unencrypted.

The majority of internet users has no understanding of this and will continue to praise encryption because they are repeating what they hear. But you can make a difference by keeping your projects open & accessible. Please consider it.