| What are cookies? A cookie is a message given to a Web browser by a Web server. The browser stores the message in a text file. The message is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server.
The main purpose of cookies is to identify users and possibly prepare customized Web pages for them. When you enter a Web site using cookies, you may be asked to fill out a form providing such information as your name and interests. This information is packaged into a cookie and sent to your Web browser which stores it for later use. The next time you go to the same Web site, your browser will send the cookie to the Web server. The server can use this information to present you with custom Web pages. So, for example, instead of seeing just a generic welcome page you might see a welcome page with your name on it. (webopedia.com | definitions: cookies)
Are cookies bad? Cookies do not act maliciously on computer systems. They are merely text files that can be deleted at any time - they are not plug ins nor are they programs. Cookies cannot be used to spread viruses and they cannot access your hard drive. This does not mean that cookies are not relevant to a user's privacy and anonymity on the Internet. Cookies cannot read your hard drive to find out information about you; however, any personal information that you give to a Web site, including credit card information, will most likely be stored in a cookie unless you have turned off the cookie feature in your browser. In only this way are cookies a threat to privacy. The cookie will only contain information that you freely provide to a Web site. (webopedia.com | are cookies malicious?)
How to view / delete cookies Viewing and deleting cookies in Internet Explorer is rather easy.
- Click on Preferences (found under the Explorer Menu in OS X).
- In the preference window, scroll down to the section called Receiving Files (you may need to expand the section by clicking on the down arrow).
- Click on Cookies
- To the right, you will see an alphabetical list of all the cookies. To view the properties of a particular cookie, click on it and then select View.
- To delete a cookie, click on it and then select Delete.
- If you want to be notified when a cookie is being set, click on the drop-down-menu next to When Receiving Cookies and select ask for each cookie (ask for each site or never accept).
- Not allowing your browser to accept cookies will inhibit you ability to customize web sites to your liking.
| Update 3/27/04
This method for deleting cookies in Internet Explorer seems to be broken. You can still view cookies using this method, but when you click 'Delete' the cookies seem to go away but once you restart Internet Explorer, they are back. An alternate method would be to delete the file com.apple.internetconfig.plist in the Home/Library folder. Thanks to Tim E. for the tip.
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