No, the padlock means that you are likely connected to the website that the URL bar shows you. This is useful and should not be discarded because of condescending ideas about "average users". It also has the advantage of being easy to explain.
Some people assign additional meaning to the padlock, which should not be done. It doesn't mean you are talking to your bank, it only means that you are talking to the website shown in the URL bar and that reasonable (simple) checks were performed to make sure that is the case.
I'd suggest we invent something better before we start breaking it.
It started being meaningless thanks to Let's Encrypt. Before it meant you had to show your ID and banking info to a "reputable" corporation for them to make a cert for you. Yes I know I know, not always the case, but...
LE means that the mantra "if it's https then it's a secure and reputable website" is now outdated.
> Before it meant you had to show your ID and banking info to a "reputable" corporation for them to make a cert for you.
No it didn't. Let's Encrypt made free certificates easier to get, but Let's Encrypt doesn't do less verification than some other CAs/some of their products.
Some people assign additional meaning to the padlock, which should not be done. It doesn't mean you are talking to your bank, it only means that you are talking to the website shown in the URL bar and that reasonable (simple) checks were performed to make sure that is the case.
I'd suggest we invent something better before we start breaking it.