what r cookies?what do cookies do?

Answer 1

If you are talking about cookies that your browser creates, then it is your browsers way of uniquely identifying itself to the websites that you visit. In other words, if you go to CNN.com and read the front page and then visit another news page, the CNN.com server doesn't have any way to know that this second request came from the same you who visited the front page a minute ago. However, when your browser supports "cookie", CNN server created an unique identifier for you when you visit the front page. Subsequently when you go to the next page, the browser sends back the same identifier that it received from CNN few minutes ago. That way CNN knows that it is you again. In practicality, it is not enough for the web pages to just "know" that you had been there before, it needs to know what you have done on other pages before, so that it can customize the web experience specially tailored for you. It does so using the cookie. In the cookie it not only puts an unique identifier for you, but also codes information about what you have done already on their site (not everything, just few things that they might find useful). So every time you browse their page they know what you have done before.
The cookies can either die (get deleted) when you close the browser (in that case it is called a session cookie) or live for a longer time as a saved file (in that case it is called a permanent cookie) so the website would remember you even if you come back after a month. A website can decide how long they want to remember you. You can also set your browser setting not too allow permanent cookies, if you are concerned. The permanent cookies are just a piece for line in a cookie file that your browser maintains. You can delete them all or delete all cookies from a particular website anytime you want. If you are using Firefox, you can alway delete your cookies from the option Tools->Clear Private Data. But remember, cookies are generally harmless and helps the websites create a better web experience for you.

Answer 2

Cookies are little bitty files that websites can put on your file to remember things that they want to keep around. It might be that you're signed on to their site, or what you have in your online shopping cart, or what pages in their website you visited. By themselves, they're not dangerous, but some people don't like the idea of other computers putting files on their computer, so they turn that feature off. You can delete them easily by finding the proper button in your browse. Click on the Help menu, and search for "cookies".

Sportychick is wrong - it's not a virus, although some virus scanners or spyware scanners will delete cookies at the same time they clean up viruses or spyware.

Answer 3

Cookies store things between sessions. For example when you log onto Yahoo it knows who you are without asking.

Answer 4

cookies are use for authenticating,traking and maintaining user information, they are parcels of text sent between browsers and users.
Most cookies save time.
I have my computer set to delete cookies(temp. files) everynight so my storage doesn't get to full (it sometimes slows you down to have to many cookies piling up.

Answer 5

cookies are the things that remember your files, for example if you put remember my screename on yahoo, then deleting the cookies will make it not remember

Answer 6

cookies are viruses on your computer. They can slow down your network or allow people to see your personal things on the computer. When you "accept cookies" you are essentially letting viruses into your software.

Answer 7

They track information/habits of your computer.

Answer 8

well they are delicious. that much i know

Answer 9

they make you fat...lol