| |
A cookie is a file sent to a web browser by a web server that is used to
record one's activities on a website. For instance, when you buy items
from a site and place them in a so-called virtual shopping cart, that
information is stored in the cookie. When the browser requests
additional files, the cookie information is sent back to the server.
Cookies can remember other kinds of personal information, such as your
password, so you don't have to re-enter it each time you visit the site;
and your preferences, so the next time you return to a site, you can be
presented with customized information. Some people regard cookies as an
invasion of privacy; others think they are a harmless way to make
websites more personal.
Most cookies have an expiration date and either reside in your
computer's memory until you close your browser or saved to your
hard drive. By the way, cookies cannot read information stored in your
computer.
You can use a text editor to view cookie files. For Windows users of Netscape
Navigator, the file is called cookies.txt and is located in the the same
folder as Netscape. Macintosh users can find it in the Netscape folder in the
System/Preferences folder. Internet Explorer creates separate files for each
cookie and stores them in folders named Cookies or Temporary Internet
Files.
|