Will deleting cookies from my computer effect anythiny?

Question

say i go to "tools" and select 'internet options" and click 'delete cookies", and I delete all my cookies, will I still be able to get into myspace



2. If a website stored a cookie in my computer, can they look up my real name from my computer

Answer 1

you will be capable getting into myspace if you remember your login information cause you'll get asked for it after removing the cookies

cookies store information on your computer making a website capable of identifying you if you visit it a second time.
what the cookie actually contains is based on the information a website places there.
In worst case a website COULD put information there you previously entered somewhere, so its a good idea to think twice before giving away information about yourself anywhere.

it can contain login information
it can contain things like a 'cart' while using an online shop, and things like that.
Actually some cookies can be read by websites who shouldn't read them.

if you properly store your account information for the multitudes of websites you register in you should be ok with deleting the cookies, from time to time.

The best method would be having a program in place where you can select which cookies you think you can live with, and which are just .. waisted hdd-space

too all users misfortune macromedias flash player has a new generation of 'cookie-like' features in place which can not be edited or removed anymore, without getting plastered with warnings

Answer 2

If you delete cookies you'll lose the saved passwords / settings in them, but they can be created again by the site.
I'd recommend clearing your cookies and temporary internet files (cache) whenever you can remember to.

If you've given the site your real name and they put a cookie on your computer, yes, they can get the info from the cookie. Most cookies are only readable by the site that put them there.

It's still a good idea to clear them out from time to time - cookies are text files and can be read by anyone with access to your computer.

If you login to either your computer or the web site with your real name, that's what the cookies are named - so, yes, they could get your real name that way.

From the tools > internet options in your question I can easily guess you're using IE. IE's the worst for security. Please give Firefox a try - even if you just use Firefox and Adblock Plus, you'll notice a huge improvement over IE.
Firefox - http://getfirefox.com/
Adblock Plus (Firefox add-on) - https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/1865/

If you find that you DO like Firefox (you'll probably love it), let me know... there's lots more cool things I can show you!

Answer 3

*** WARNING *** The first two posters don't know what they are talking about. Cookies are such a trivial load that today's computers would have to have millions of them before it made any difference to performance.

A cookie is simply a preference setting for a website. No, they can't tell your real name. The only reason people treat cookies as something spooky is because they are called 'magic cookies'. If they were called 'website settings' nobody would give them a moment's thought.

Deleting them will have no harmful effect, except websites you usually visit won't recognize you until you sign in again. For example, Yahoo Answers puts a cookie in your browser so it knows who you are, and can tell your page requests from everyone else's.

Answer 4

The only reason those cookies are on your computer is to keep track of what web sites you visit. That's what they were designed to do since Macintosh and Win 95 first went on line.

Answer 5

1- it will probably be best for your browser

2-not unless its an infected cookie- called the "tracking cookie"

Answer 6

yea its better for your browser, and the only thing that that cookies are there are for a fast loading, but having lots of them make your browsing slow.