i'm new to the internet. what is or are cookies?

Answer 1

I'm even newer to the internet, but every body knows that cookies are delicious pastries usually in oval forms that we all love to eat. Chocolate chip is my favorite. Now armed with this knowledge cookies on the internet are the same thing. They store juicy information about what websites you went too, email you sent or received, Your viewing habits and the kind of websites you visited. Even a peabrain armed with a Atari 400 and a 120k cassette drive can use this information to wreck havoc on your internet life and your email inbox amongst other things.

Answer 2

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.

The name cookie derives from UNIX objects called magic cookies. These are tokens that are attached to a user or program and change depending on the areas entered by the user or program.

Answer 3

Cookie:

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.

The name cookie derives from UNIX objects called magic cookies. These are tokens that are attached to a user or program and change depending on the areas entered by the user or program.

Also, check out http://www.webopedia.com for more internet and computer definitions.

Tom

Answer 4

When a site needs to remember something about you as you move from page to page, or leave the site and come back, they need a place to store that information. Lets say that you are at a website on which you have an account, and you type your login information and click 'remember me' so you don't have to type it next time you come in.

The site needs a way to identify you are that person next time you come back, since its not magic, a cookie is employed to store something the site can use to identify you.

Now all the bad stuff you hear about cookies is usually related to lazy site designers that store things like credit card numbers (when you say remember my credit card), or usernames and passwords (when you say remember my login info). In either case, they should be storing a unique number or set of letters that identifies your record in their database to them, but has none of your private information. Until not too long ago, any site could read any other site's cookies, and still to this day, all cookies are unencrypted (unless the site encrypts it before storing it).

The point is, 99% of the time you have nothing to worry about, all it is, is a way to store and track information about your session. Some sites use them just for logging purposes and almost all sites have them.

Answer 5

Cookies are packets of information that a website will have saved into a cache on your computer. This helps the website load faster the next time you visit.

For example, a website logo might be included as a cookie.

Answer 6

They are small files that open basically every single time that you click on something on the internet. You need them to run the internet. However you don't need them to be downloaded onto your computer, but most of them do. They can cause viruses, unless you are using wireless internet, then you should block all cookies.

Answer 7

think of cookie CRUMBS, they leave trails so u can remember where you've been. in this case the websites use them to see where you have been, most of the time the websites use them to remember settings like how u like to be called, etc... but on some occasions and now more often there used to track your likings, so if in one website u were browsing medical products you'll suddenly start seeing medical pruducs AD's al over.
this is not necesarilly bad, but in otder to protect your self you MUST have a antispyware program installed and run it at least once daily.

I recomend: Lavasoft, AD-AWARE

Answer 8

They save information and your preferences so that the next time you visit the website it will load up quicker. Also i think some of them also track what other websites you go onto. Most of them are relatively harmful and can be removed with software such as "ad-aware"

Answer 9

(Internet Browser) - Holds information on the times and dates you have visited web sites. Other information can also be saved to your hard disk in these text files, including information about online purchases, validation information about you for members-only web sites, and more.

Answer 10

Umm........ they are these things where websites pick up information about you and give them out to other websites. People will keep giving yo ads. I think so, anyway.