links to mixed-content pages in Blackboard tabs?

[Lisa Rabey]

As a personal user of Bb since 2008ish at another institution, I know
links, especially those that are https or going through a proxy, have
never ever played well with Bb.

This is the word from my current institutional IT department:

"Lisa,
 We are aware that this is an issue with Chrome.
 There are many issues with the Library "tab" as it was originally set up.
 Opening a webpage from the Blackboard frame from the top tab is
problematic as it causes problems opening pages, and in the case of
the library, even if the page does open, the use of the databases
poses other issues as they do not always load correctly from within
the Blackboard frame.

 We are testing alternative ways to open the library database index
page to get around these issues, such as making the link be available
from a "Quick Links" menu on the page. This allows for the page to
open in a second tab or window.
 Ultimately, the way Blackboard is constructed, the use of the top
frame tabs to open other web pages is not advisable and will always
cause problems."


My workaround for every class I have ever taught was to have students
use Bb in one tab, the library in another. They can use the browser of
their choice, they can keep tabs on what they need in Bb with what
they are searching. Problem mostly solved.

Also, Bb can die by the casting of a 1000 flaming suns but you know,
that's a given.

-lisa






On Wed, Jun 25, 2014 at 12:53 PM, Chris R. Wieman
<c.wieman at usciences.edu> wrote:
> Hi-
>
>
>
> Following an update to Blackboard last fall, we began having a problem with
> the Library tab on our Blackboard site (I administer the library site but
> not Blackboard). The problem occurs when you open the library website from
> within the Blackboard frame; although the exact symptoms vary by browser,
> generally the main issues are 1) the library page doesn’t load and/or 2)
> links which are not https won’t open. This occurs because Blackboard is now
> a secure environment and doesn’t tolerate links within it that are not
> https. It’s also caused by safety features in browsers which will not load
> pages of mixed content. There are ways around this issue, but they require
> the user to configure their browsers …so we’ve been treating this as
> “educational issue” rather than a technical one, since the solution seems to
> be out of our hands. That said, one easy way it could be fixed is to
> configure the link within Blackboard so the Library site opens in a new
> window/tab …however this can’t be done because the links that appear in the
> Blackboard tabs can’t be set to do this.
>
>
>
> I suspect we are not the only ones who have run into this problem. Has it
> affected your institution? If so, did you find a workaround?
>
>
>
> Thanks for your reads and replies. Best,
>
>
>
> Chris Wieman
>
> Information Science Instructor / Systems & Reference Librarian
>
> J.W. England Library
>
> University of the Sciences
>
> 600 S. 43rd St., Philadelphia, PA 19104
>
> Office: 215-596-8962 | Ref Desk: 215-596-8967
>
> c.wieman at usciences.edu | Ask a Librarian | www.usciences.edu/library
>
>
>
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> 2014-06-25



-- 

Lisa M. Rabey | @pnkrcklibrarian
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2014-06-25