Hiding the scheme is a dangerous path, because users then have to depend on browser specific indicators of https, or other secure schemes. I think it's a bad i

Hiding the scheme is a dangerous path, because users then have to depend on browser specific indicators of https, or other secure schemes. I think it's a bad idea for that reason, and for another higher level reason. As a developer and sys admin before that I've always tried to assume my users are smart people and try to educate them about what they might not know, instead of assuming they are dumb and attempting to PICNIC-proof software/systems. I think hiding the scheme indicates an assumption that users are dumb and need to be told what to do. I've seen reporting on other indicators of this from Google over the last decade (e.g., Google Reader's sunset, Google+, working with China's censors, and others). FYI, PICNIC = Problem In Chair Not In Computer