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Introduction | Child Safety: Blocking Software | E-Commerce | Cookies | Auctions | Copyright Issues | Supplemental Links
Cookies Anyone? Cookies are little pieces of information that some interactive Web servers send back to your browser when you visit their site. If your browser is set up to receive cookies, the information is stored in small text files on your hard drive. The information stored as cookies includes information you submit while you are visiting a site, or information about your browsing habits. For example, sites that let you select and add items to your "shopping cart" as you browse store that information by sending cookies to your hard drive. The cookies make it more convenient for you to shop online, because you can complete an entire "shopping trip" before placing the order; even it the site visit is interrupted. Without cookies, you might have to order each item separately, or start over if you left the site in the middle of your visit. Some commercial sites, like Amazon.com, ask you about your preferences for particular types of products. Cookies let those sites remember your preferences. When you return to the site at a later date, the information presented to you will be customized based on how you answered questions. For example, Amazon.com will suggest authors or book titles based on the reading preferences you voluntarily submitted. Some people find it unsettling that a server can place information in a file on their hard drive, but cookies are usually considered harmless, since they can only be stored in text format. That eliminates the risk of cookies transferring viruses. And, most browsers allow you to change the preferences so that you are notified you when you receive a cookie. (If you can set your browser this way, it is interesting to do so, at least for a short while, so that you can observe how many sites use cookies.) Read more about cookies:
The Master Internet Volunteer Program was developed by the University of Minnesota Extension Service and was adapted for use in North Dakota with permission. Copyright © 2001 North Dakota State University. All rights reserved. North Dakota State University Extension Service |
