How-To Guide: What are Cookies?

Cookie

Probably no other term is more misunderstood than “cookie”. Unlike those yummy chocolate chip kind, computer cookies are not always well-received. The very thought gives some PC users a fright, while others could care less about the cookies they host. This month, let’s de-mystify this term and explore what a “cookie” really is and what is does.

A “cookie” is simply a message given to a Web browser by a Web server. The browser (Internet Explorer) stores the message in a text file called cookie.txt on the user’s hard disk. The message is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server.

The main purpose of cookies is to identify users and to prepare customized Web pages for them. EX: You visit Barnes & Noble online. You are asked to enter your name. You indicate an interest in historical novels. The next time you visit, the site will greet you by name and ask if you want to look at new historical novels. The cookies enables it to recognize you.

Most cookies are harmless, but there are a few potentially harmful cookies out there.

To protect yourself from bad cookies, it is recommended that you set your Internet Explorer security as follows:

Using Internet Explorer:
1. Choose Tools, then
2. Internet Options.
3. Click the Privacy tab,
4. Click on Advanced.
5. Follow the settings in the example below.

6. Click on OK.
7. Click on OK.

[Posted on February 7, 2005]