What are "cookies"....like the ones in a computer???

Question

what do they do???
and how do you activate them or check if they already are??

Answer 1

In XP Click help. Click Contents and Index. Click Search. Type Cookies. Click List Topics. Click Cookies: frequently asked questions. Click Display.

Answer 2

look i usually don't like copy and pasting but this info from wikipedia.com pretty much explains it all:
HTTP cookies, sometimes known as web cookies or just cookies, are parcels of text sent by a server to a web browser and then sent back unchanged by the browser each time it accesses that server. HTTP cookies are used for authenticating, tracking, and maintaining specific information about users, such as site preferences and the contents of their electronic shopping carts. The term "cookie" is derived from "magic cookie," a well-known concept in Unix computing which inspired both the idea and the name of HTTP cookies.

Cookies have been of concern for Internet privacy, since they can be used for tracking browsing behavior. As a result, they have been subject to legislation in various countries such as the United States and in the European Union. Cookies have also been criticised because the identification of users they provide is not always accurate and because they could potentially be used for network attacks. Some alternatives to cookies exist, but each has its own drawbacks.

Cookies are also subject to a number of misconceptions, mostly based on the erroneous notion that they are computer programs. In fact, cookies are simple pieces of data unable to perform any operation by themselves. In particular, they are neither spyware nor viruses, despite the detection of cookies from certain sites by many anti-spyware products.

Most modern browsers allow users to decide whether to accept cookies, but rejection makes some websites unusable. For example, shopping baskets implemented using cookies do not work if cookies are rejected.

Answer 3

Cookies are files stored on your computer by websites to remember some info about you. For example, when you log in to a website, and you don't need to log in ever again, it's because the website has a cookie on your computer that tells them who you are and that you have already logged in. Cookies don't need to be activated as long as your security setting on your browser is not too strict.

Answer 4

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 5

Cookies: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and Managing Cookies
http://www.geekontherun.net/cookies1.htm

I recommend installing CCleaner.
During install only select the first 2 options (install shortcuts).
Open CCleaner. Under Settings - Cookies : Move cookies you want to keep to the save list. Set to run at startup. This will automatically clean out the cookies not in the save list when your computer starts..
http://www.ccleaner.com/

Answer 6

What is a Cookie?

A cookie is a variable that is stored on the visitor's computer. Each time the same computer requests a page with a browser, it will send the cookie too. With JavaScript, you can both create and retrieve cookie values.

Examples of cookies:

* Name cookie - The first time a visitor arrives to your web page, he or she must fill in her/his name. The name is then stored in a cookie. Next time the visitor arrives at your page, he or she could get a welcome message like "Welcome John Doe!" The name is retrieved from the stored cookie
* Password cookie - The first time a visitor arrives to your web page, he or she must fill in a password. The password is then stored in a cookie. Next time the visitor arrives at your page, the password is retrieved from the cookie
* Date cookie - The first time a visitor arrives to your web page, the current date is stored in a cookie. Next time the visitor arrives at your page, he or she could get a message like "Your last visit was on Tuesday August 11, 2005!" The date is retrieved from the stored cookie

Create and Store a Cookie

In this example we will create a cookie that stores the name of a visitor. The first time a visitor arrives to the web page, he or she will be asked to fill in her/his name. The name is then stored in a cookie. The next time the visitor arrives at the same page, he or she will get welcome message.

First, we create a function that stores the name of the visitor in a cookie variable:

function setCookie(c_name,value,expiredays)
{
var exdate=new Date()
exdate.setDate(exdate.getDate()+expiredays)
document.cookie=c_name+ "=" +escape(value)+
((expiredays==null) ? "" : ";expires="+exdate.toGMTString())
}

The parameters of the function above hold the name of the cookie, the value of the cookie, and the number of days until the cookie expires.

In the function above we first convert the number of days to a valid date, then we add the number of days until the cookie should expire. After that we store the cookie name, cookie value and the expiration date in the document.cookie object.

Then, we create another function that checks if the cookie has been set:

function getCookie(c_name)
{
if (document.cookie.length>0)
{
c_start=document.cookie.indexOf(c_name + "=")
if (c_start!=-1)
{
c_start=c_start + c_name.length+1
c_end=document.cookie.indexOf(";",c_start)
if (c_end==-1) c_end=document.cookie.length
return unescape(document.cookie.substring(c_start,c_end))
}
}
return ""
}

The function above first checks if a cookie is stored at all in the document.cookie object. If the document.cookie object holds some cookies, then check to see if our specific cookie is stored. If our cookie is found, then return the value, if not - return an empty string.

Last, we create the function that displays a welcome message if the cookie is set, and if the cookie is not set it will display a prompt box, asking for the name of the user:

function checkCookie()
{
username=getCookie('username')
if (username!=null && username!="")
{alert('Welcome again '+username+'!')}
else
{
username=prompt('Please enter your name:',"")
if (username!=null && username!="")
{
setCookie('username',username,365)
}
}
}

All together now:










The example above runs the checkCookie() function when the page loads.

Answer 7

They are files stored on your computer that are used by websites. For example Amazon.com uses them to keep track of your login information and your cart. That is how it knows what is in your cart if you returned a few days later.

The most common use is to automatically log you into a website. Yahoo most likely uses this when you click the "remember me" box when you log in. You login information is stored in a cookie which is loaded by yahoo the next time you visit and you log in automatically.

Answer 8

Most cookies are harmless, they are used to remember your personal settings to the website, they help load pages faster. If you are worried about them tracking you around the net get yourself some spyware/adware programs here are some free ones
http://www.basicspywaretips.com/spywareremovaltool.html

Answer 9

little tiny files.

For example, Yahoo puts a fresh one on when you visit. Notice it awards you a point when you come by each day?

It knew who you were and when you were here by the cookie it found.

Don't worry about them too much, mostly they help.

Answer 10

they are little bugs but not vireses that take up space on your cp you can erase them