 to Cookies by Joel Tucker "Cookies" are little data files that websites write to your computer. They tell the website when you last visited, what pages you viewed, etc. Cookies help web builders gather information about you and your web surfing habits. Websites use cookies to store information on your computer and receive it again when you return to the site. Between the website and your cookie, the site learns to serve you better, or to give you a more effective sales pitch. The computing community seems to want you to ignore your cookies and just let them pile up on your hard disk. Some configurations of Windows 95 and 98 with Microsoft Explorer change the rules of file management in favor of cookies. For instance, when you can select several text and data files to delete them all, the software asks, "Are you sure?" and you can answer "Yes to All." Not so with cookies. In that case, the system ominously warns, "So-and-so is a cookie! Are you sure you want to delete it?" "Yes to All" is not an option; you have to answer for each cookie separately. Netscape Navigator creates a "cookies.txt" file that starts with the warning "This is a generated file! Do not edit." You know those cushion tags that say, "Warning! Do not remove!" To my recollection, I have never removed one. But I have a confession: I delete cookie files. I disallow them. I boldly edit a file that says, "do not edit." When a web site says, "So-and-so wants to send you a cookie. Will you accept it?" I click, "No." I don't want to be an easy sell. I want you to convince me - yes, again - of why I should care about your product or service. Have I been here before? Who cares? I gladly give up a cheerful "hello jt" and the occasional easy shortcut you provide to reward me for storing your information on my computer. There are websites that give you special privileges based on the cookies stored on your computer. On some sites, you might actually be paying for the privilege of receiving a cookie. But usually, key services are based on entering your user name and password, without reference to cookies. I'd like to encourage a little experiment. If you use Microsoft Internet Explorer (or America Online on a system that also has Internet Explorer), open Explorer, go to the "View" menu and select "Options" or "Internet Options." Click the "Advanced" tab - See how they're trying to scare you away? - and look for the "Cookies" settings. You have three choices: Always accept cookies, Prompt before accepting cookies and Disable all cookie use. On Netscape, you'll find the same thing under the "Edit" menu; select "Preferences", then (you guessed it!) "Advanced." Your preset, surprise again, is "Accept all cookies". If you change the setting to "Prompt" on Explorer, or click "Warn me before accepting cookies" on Netscape, you'll find out next time you browse just how many people want to send you cookies. Answer "No" and see if the site still works. If so, you can change all the settings to Disable cookies and you won't be bothered with all those warnings, nor have all those cookies stacking up on your computer. I'm not suggesting that cookies are bad. But you should know that they exist, and that they are both storing and providing information when you surf the web. If enough of us just say no to cookies, web developers will have to learn to ask first before collecting personal data. Send your questions or comments by mail to this newspaper or by e-mail to jt@bootup.com. |
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