A cookie file is used by a website to store information about YOU on YOUR PC.
It records bits of data such as pages you visit, an online shopping cart, user names and passwords.
Cookies can personalize your web site experience. When you return to a website that asked you to “register”, it reads the cookie it previously put on your hard drive, "recognizes" you and takes you directly to your personalized content.
Cookies work invisibly. They track people and can build detailed profiles of internet activities. Some people see this as a threat to their privacy. (more on internet privacy issues)
How Bad Are They?
Cookies only know what you tell them (such as when you complete a form to register). Supposedly only the website that created the cookie can read it.
But even if you completely disable cookies RIGHT NOW, any website you visit can still learn quite a bit by examining your browser settings.
At our PC LAB
Hale Halawai PC’s do NOT allow cookies that collect personally identifiable data but do allow other generally benign cookies such as those that track data anonymously.
Some websites will not allow you access unless you enable cookies. If it happens while at our PC LAB, please ask a lab assistant for help.
If you are concerned about cookies, you can change your browser settings. Look through the menus and find the "Preference" or "Options" choice to change the setting.
You can set different zones such as “Trusted Sites” and inspect what cookies are blocked by your settings from the new IE privacy report icon within the browser window.
How to Find & Delete Cookies
On most Windows PC’s and Macs, just search for folders named cookies, then open each and look for cookies. Most legit cookies will easily identify their site in their file name. If you delete a cookie for a site you registered with, you may have to re-register or enable cookies when you return.
WARNING:
Deleting cookies for vital secured sites such as online bank, credit card and investment accounts may cause delays in accessing your account and posting transactions.
Otherwise, happy deleting!
|
