on a computer, what is a cookie?

Answer 1

A file that holds information about your activities on a certain web site.

Answer 2

A cookie is a file created by an Internet site to store information on your computer, such as your preferences when visiting that site. For example, if you inquire about a flight schedule at an airline's Web site, the site might create a cookie that contains your itinerary. Or it might only contain a record of the pages you looked at within the site you visited, to help the site customize the view for you the next time you visit.

Cookies can also store personally identifiable information. Personally identifiable information is information that can be used to identify or contact you, such as your name, e-mail address, home or work address, or telephone number. However, a Web site only has access to the personally identifiable information that you provide. For example, a Web site cannot determine your e-mail name unless you provide it. Also, a Web site cannot gain access to other information on your computer.

Once a cookie is saved on your computer, only the Web site that created the cookie can read it.

Answer 3

A "cookie" is an information file that's saved on your computer every time you visit a website. It can contain data such as username and password (so you don't have to re-enter it the next time), or your preferences on the page layout. However, you can also get cookies that aren't related to the sites you're visiting; those can be cleaned up by most anti-virus or anti-spyware programs.

Answer 4

i dont think you are asking from programming point of view so i wont discuss from programming view point rather i'll tell you from users perspective.


yea, its a kind of file where all the informations are kept when you visit sites .

you have IE browser ...do you see a cookie tab there ? ...there is a location in your hard drive where these temp cookie files are stored when you browse sites with IE .


all the browser have this cookie thingie ...check with mozila , firefox also .

Its nothing just a simple file which keeps users activity .

you might ask why cookie is required ? hmm....yea, its not absolutely necessary in fact ....but its there to help you.

suppose, today you visited some page and tomorrow you want start from there again ....cookie can store earlier information to start from there .....you dont need to browse from the beginning .....this is saving your time ...is not it ? But all cookies are not good ...there are some posinous cookies which sends info to the server with your activities ....so you should not allow cookies from bad sites .

However , use of cookies are not encouraging now a days in programming world .....because session tracking , url rewiting etc is more promising technology which can compete with cookies .

HTH

Answer 5

A cookie is a small bit of info stored on your computer by internet sites... Generally they are used to maintain logins to sites.

Answer 6

A cookie is basically a bit of information stored on your computer to help a website remember you.

When you sign on to Yahoo, and you tell it to "Stay logged in" or "Log in each time you visit" or so on, it stores a cookie on your computer which remembers your username and password for that website and remembers that you're logged in. It'll use that to keep you logged in. :-)

You can clear cookies by going to "Tools > Internet Options" and click "Delete Cookies" in IE6, if you have IE7, you can go to "Tools > Internet Options" and select "Delete..." in the "Browsing History area" :-)

Answer 7

it's just that some sites want to know what you're interested in so they can give you promotional ads. some sites won't even let you on if you don't accept these little trackers but Yahoo let's you on anyway. You can always get rid of the (the cookies), I think.

Answer 8

when you go to a website and enter info like a password or fill out a form...it is temporarily saved in the computers memory. I dont know why it is called a cookie and not "cellulite".

Answer 9

"A file that holds information about your activities on a certain web site. "
Most often it holds your identification so you are recognized when you show up again (most of the details, like address being held on computers at the site) so that you don't need a password each time or so the site can tell you about events or locations in your area.

Answer 10

its jus a file tht says u wa doin such and such on dis dat website its like lil notes but they tend to take up alot of space and make ur omputer run slow in order to remoe then go to tools then internet options then go to delete cookies itll remove all cookies and then jus in kase delete files which will delete all temporary internet filles