Cookies, what the heck are they?

Aren't cookies something you eat? Not on the web. When you go to a web site for the second time, there is no way for the web server to know that it is you returning. There is no way for it to know what you did the last time you were there. However, it can send your browser a "cookie" and then it will know you when you return. A cookie is a small piece of information that the web server sends to your browser. Your browser stores this information on your hard drive and the next time you interact with that same server, you browser will send that cookie back to the web server. If the web server makes up a unique number (like an account number) the first time you visit a site, then it can track all of your activity at that site. This can be an invasion of privacy. Most often, it is not. Most of the time these cookies are quite innocent in nature. For example, if you had to pay to access this site, I would require you to enter a password to get in. That would mean that every time you came here you would have to remember your password and enter it. I could instead use a cookie to store this information. The first time you entered your password, my server could send a cookie that indicated that you are a registered user and then the next time you stopped by your browser would send that cookie back and my server would not have to ask you for your password.

There are many uses for cookies. I would really like to be able to send cookies to your browser. It would make the design of this site easier, and would also give me a better idea of which parts need to be modified, rewritten, or whatever to hold your interest longer or to be more informative. However, since some networks have used cookies to track their users, many people do not trust sites that use cookies. There are many things I could do to make this site more enjoyable for both you and I if I used cookies, but I would be guilty by association. I do not want that.

Overall, it is safe to not worry about cookies. This is true for several reasons. First, there are very few networks that still try to track you via cookies. Second, these networks can only track your actions at sites that belong to their network. For example, one company that operates a network like this is DoubleClick. While they can track your actions at most of the sites that display one of their banner advertisements, they cannot track your activities at any site that does not display one of their banners. Third, every time you delete your cookie file, all of the information they have about you becomes completely irrelevant because they can no longer tell that it was about you. Fourth, cookies are periodically deleted by your browser. There is a limit to the number of cookies that can be stored in these files and whenever you exceed that limit the oldest cookies are deleted. Fifth, unless you specifically provide a web site with information about yourself (by filling out a form at the web site), there is no way for them to know anything personal about yourself other than which pages you saw at their network, what type of computer and browser you are using, and what time you stopped by their site.

Getting rid of that cookie warning:

Your browser may be setup to warn you every time you receive a cookie. That can be seriously annoying. If you would like to disable that warning, follow these steps.

If you have Netscape Navigator, go to the "Options" menu and click on the "Network Preferences" item. At the top of the dialog box that appears is a series of tabs, click on the "Protocol" tab. If the check box labeled "Accepting a Cookie" is checked, uncheck it. Click on the "OK" button. If you want to re-enable that warning, just follow these instructions again and instead of unchecking that box, check it.

If you have Microsoft Internet Explorer, go to the "View" menu and click on the "Options" item. At the top of the dialog box that appears is a series of tabs, click on the "Advanced" tab. If the check box labeled "Warn before accepting cookies" is checked, uncheck it. Click on the "OK" button. If you want to re-enable this warning, follow these instructions again and instead of unchecking that box, check it.

If you have another browser, check your help screens or talk to someone else that has that browser.

Deleting your cookie file:

Most people do not worry about their cookies. I do not see any need to worry about them. However, if you want to delete the cookies currently on your hard drive, here are some instructions. I do not take any responsibility for your actions. If you delete something you should not have, you will have to live with the consequences. I take NO responsibility. Where your cookies are stored varies from browser to browser.

If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE), your cookies are stored as separate files in a directory called "COOKIES". This directory is usually right in your WINDOWS directory (i.e., C:\WINDOWS\COOKIES). If you are using Windows 95, then you can search for that directory by going to your Start menu, choosing the menu item "Find" and in that menu picking the item "Files or Folders". Then when the dialog box comes up, tell it to search for "COOKIES" (without the quotes). If you are using another version of Windows, or don't want to use the Find dialog, you can open a DOS window, and at the command line type:

          dir /s/b c:\cookies

If that does not locate the directory, maybe it is on another hard drive. Try:

          dir /s/b d:\cookies

Continue on to your other drives (e:, f:, g:, etc.) until you find the directory or run out of drives. Once you have located the cookie directory, first make sure that MSIE is not currently running, then delete everything inside that directory. DO NOT DELETE ANY OTHER FILES!

If you have Netscape, your cookies are stored in a single file called "cookies.txt". This file is usually right in your NETSCAPE directory. Locate this file. If you do not know how, read the steps above for MSIE and instead of searching for "COOKIES" search for "cookies.txt". Once you have located that file, delete it. DO NOT DELETE ANY OTHER FILES!

If you have another browser, check you help screens or talk to someone else who has that browser.

As I get time, I will not only add more articles about the web, I will also add articles about other uses of the internet, such as FTP, Usenet, etc. If you have any questions or need any help, please contact me. I will not only try to help you, I will also post my answers here in the attempt to help others.