In most cases, the issue resolves after one or two attempts, but in others Safari displays the "Cannot connect to server message" several times in a row. MacFixIt reader Phil writes: ...

A DNS server – short for Domain Name System server – helps your web browser connect to the internet and load websites properly.

so I can't see where the server is trying to force https. This is important because the bugserver sends out bug reports with URLs them, and when I click them they open in Safari, where they fail.