| =Home== | What Are Cookies? |
==Top= | ||
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| I am aware of two general types of cookies: cookies that you eat and cookies that are in your computer. | ||||
| I am sure that the food variety needs no explanation, so I will dwell on the computer cookies. | ||||
 Computer
cookies, also sometimes known as magic cookies, are relatively small files
in ASCII text format and they are encoded. They originate from servers on
sites on the World Wide Web and end up stored on the user's hard drive.
They are small files with a maximum size of 4,096 bytes. The Netscape
browser names its cookie file as "cookies.txt" whereas Internet Explorer
names it as "cookies". A cookie file can contain up to 300 cookies
and a maximum of 20 cookies from any one given Web site. When the limit is
reached the oldest cookies are automatically deleted to make room for new
cookies. Some cookies are programmed with an expiration date so that
they are automatically deleted after a period of time. |
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| Ok. So they are small files, but how do they get on your computer? | ||||
| Not all Web sites use cookies, but when you visit a site that does, that site's server will download a cookie to your browser and it will end up saved on your hard drive. This goes on usually without your knowledge or permission. Some browsers have an option that require you to be alerted when a cookie will be downloaded, and you may give it a yes or no answer. In some browsers, you may turn off the downloading of cookies completely. However, on some sites, if you refuse the cookie, you will be denied access. | ||||
| What are the cookies for? | ||||
| Their general purpose is to make things easier for the visitor as well as for the site owner. The cookies hold information so that the server knows what are the visitor's interests in the site. When the user visits the site again, the server retrieves the cookie and according to the information leads the visitor to his/her preferential areas. A cookie can also be used to authenticate or identify a registered user without requiring passwords and signing in each time the site is visited. | ||||
| The other side of the cookie. | ||||
| A cookie can also include information about your interests because they keep a record of the sites you visit. A cookie can track your surfing on the Internet. Some companies use the cookie information in ways that are not as ethical as you might like. The cookie may contain information about you that you would not like to be available to advertisers and outsiders in general. | ||||
| Where are the cookies located? | ||||
| They are on your hard drive, usually the C:\ drive. The are located in C:\Windows\Temporary Internet Files, or perhaps one or more subfolders. | ||||
| Can you get rid of them? | ||||
| Yes you can. It is a good idea to get rid of the Temporary Internet
Files as well. Do that first. Here are the instructions. Then just go back to delete the cookies. |
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| Will more new cookies arrive? | ||||
| If you use the same browser and settings, and surf the Internet as you have been doing, the answer is YES. |
