How Do Websites Use Cookies?
What do cookies have to do with your computer?
How do websites use cookies?
A computer cookie is a small text file which contains a unique ID tag, placed on your computer by a website. The website saves a complimentary file with a matching ID tag.
There are temporary cookies and permanent cookies.
The name "cookie" comes from Fortune Cookie, because of the hidden information inside.
When have you seen cookies in action?
* Permanent Cookies:
When you visit any site and enter a password, such as for eBay users, your computer will ask you if you want it to remember your password and login information. If you say 'Yes', Voila, a permanent cookie is placed on your computer.
This is so handy because now I don't need to remember all my login information for my favorite sites.
* Temporary Cookies:
You will notice temporary cookies when you click to a site from your search engine, and then visit it later. You will notice it is a different color than the rest. If that site is not visited for a time, it will return to it's original color.
On my computer, all the websites start off blue, but once I have visited a site it turns purple. It's so handy because I sometimes forget the name of a site that I want to show my husband, but since it has a temporary cookie, it is highlighted and I find it right away.
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When cookies were first on the web scene, advertisers/marketers could track personal information web users gave out, but now you can simply turn off the cookies and/or delete specific ones.
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*** Always make sure you only give out personal information to long running, trusted sites. Personally, if it is a website my kids want to play on, we never give out real information.
Want to learn how to turn off cookies? Click here.
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