Information on Deleting Cookies From a Mac Computer
One of the great unknowns of the Internet world is the concept of "cookies" on your computer. While they have an unfavorable reputation, there are situations where they're extremely helpful. On its own, a cookie is harmless, usually a text file that resides on your computer, something that was deposited there in the course of Web surfing. But purging all your cookies in one shot isn't always a good idea; you'll regret it when you struggle to remember your login information for websites you visit regularly.
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Significance
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In the best-case scenario, cookies are what allow websites to "remember" when you visit a site on a regular basis. For example, when you log onto a website where you have to enter a username and password, it's the cookie that allows your computer to "know" your username (and sometimes password) so you don't have to endure the process of entering this information each time you plan to logon.
History
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Cookies were first introduced in the mid-1990s, right when the Internet became mainstream. Initially used on e-commerce websites to help streamline the online shopping experience, they quickly caught on and became beneficial for both users as well as the websites themselves.
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Features
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Every browser gives you the option to view and delete any or all of your cookies under the software's Preferences; in Firefox, clicking on "Privacy" and then "Show Cookies" will reveal a list of all the cookies stored on your computer, while Safari users click on the "Security" tab and then "Show Cookies." One advantage that Safari has is the ability to select multiple cookies (shift + click) while Firefox forces you to delete cookies either all at once or one at a time.
Warning
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An alternate method for clearing all cookies is by selecting "Clear Recent History" under "Tools" in Firefox and checking "Cookies" in the window; Safari offers a similar feature in "Reset Safari" under the "Safari" menu. Although you can identify a good number of cookies by name, many of them use less obvious names, making identity next to impossible.
Prevention/Solution
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The best way to prevent unauthorized cookies from being deposited on your Mac is to configure your browser to alert you when a website wants to give you a cookie.
Expert Insight
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Cookies Can Track Your Web Habits As a stand-alone file, a cookie is a harmless text file that is stored in a folder (the location of which is determined by your Web browser software) on your computer. However, due to the nature of your Web browser program, cookies can be used as spyware, which can allow websites to monitor and track your online (and sometimes offline) computer use.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit internet image by Soja Andrzej from Fotolia.com preparing the file image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com
