identical HTML - NN4 ignores css on https version of page

difference between https and http on same domain?

[experimenter]

I have my Web site set up mirrored for regular http:// and SSL https:// access on a paid UNIX hosting service. The files in the httpdocs and httpsdocs directories are identical.

I have been experimenting with relatively simple tableless page designs with external style sheets that display (close to) properly in any browser including Netscape 4.
I have a basic Web page design I like reasonably well that works about as well as possible on Netscape 4 when accessed at [example.org...] but when I access the page with identical code which uses an identical css file at http://www.example.org/test.php the page is displayed as though the css layout is being ignored.

My guess is that there is some site configuration that is causing this problem, but I do not know what it is.

Please provide any technical suggestions as to possible reasons for this inconsistency.

[edited by: tedster at 5:59 pm (utc) on Oct. 9, 2003]
[edit reason] use generic domain name [/edit]

[tedster]

Welcome to WebmasterWorld, experimenter.

It looks like the panel is stumped on this one -- I know I am. Have you tried calling the css file with a full URL, including the [?...]

Any other ideas gratefully accepted.

[experimenter]

I tried using the full URL with no change in display.
I also tried using the URL of the css page in the mirrored folder with no change in display.
I noticed after I posted that I put the wrong type in the title of this post; it is the regular http:// page that is the problem, not the SSL page.
I created some additional pages in both the regular and SSL folder and all had the same problem viewing the pages in the regular folder with Netscape 4.
Internet Explorer (5.5 and 6.0) and Mozilla have no problems with either the regular or SSL pages.
I thought maybe the problem might be something like the one described at [devedge.netscape.com...] but I cannot find any .htaccess file in the root directory of either folder at my site or any of the folders to which I have access so I suppose the hosting service does not use it.