What Does Cookie Mean?

The word cookie can mean several things. Most of them are sugary, sweet and friendly. However, it is just for this reason that the word was also selected to mean a certain piece of computer code that may be installed on your computer. This text file may be harmless, but you need to understand exactly what cookies are so that you can determine if you want them on your computer.

History

According to the inventor of the Internet cookie, there is nothing funny about the name. He claims that the word "cookie" is commonly used in computer science circles to indicate a small piece of data that provides information about how a computer is used. The word cookie is also fairly non-threatening, which may help people to feel more secure about these items being installed without permission.

Function

Cookies are tiny pieces of data that "live" on the Internet until they move to your computer. The cookie is not a virus and cannot be used as one in most cases. These little pieces of text tell your Web browser things about your usage. This is done so the cookie can then customize Web pages that will be more appealing to you. They also contain information about what types of Web pages you like, things you have done on personal pages and login information in order to make page usage more convenient.

Identification

If you are not a programmer, you will probably not recognize a cookie unless it is programmed to request your permission before installing itself in your computer. Cookies are small pieces of text and, in some cases, can be found on your hard drive. You can find a list of all your cookies in the "Temporary Internet Files" folder on your computer. This folder is generally located somewhere on your desktop or in your systems contol folders.

Prevention/Solution

Cookies are not inherently bad and can make your Web experience much more convenient. However, if you allow third parties to save information about you, then you do open the door to lossed privacy. You can prevent cookies by telling your computer to reject them. Look in the security menu on your computer to find this option if you wish to exercise it. The process of deleting and rejecting cookies varies by browser and operating system. You will need to use steps specific to your system in order to accomplish this task.

Effects

Cookies have no real effect on your computer or your Web usage other than to potentially make it a smoother experience. Most computers come with a limitation and will start deleting them long before they start to slow down your hard drive or clog up your system.

Warning

Cookies are basically harmless, but you should still be aware of what they are doing on your computer. Cookies enable websites to track what types of things you like to tailor advertising and content to your desires and needs. They also store information about how often you log into websites. In the wrong hands, a cookie can be a problematic little text file, so make sure that if you have a choice in the matter--and sometimes you will not--that you only accept cookies from websites that you trust.

Resources

• Learn more about how cookies and their programming work.
• This will tell you how to delete or reject cookies.