> Cookies are not a threat to your computer. Your privacy, maybe, in
> that
> they do leave a trail as to where you have been. On the other hand,
> only the domain that SET the cookie can read them. All they do read
> and
> write to a file called "cookie.txt".
>
--------> Yeah, I deal with some of the feedback from our website on
occasion and you'd be amazed at the level of paranoia out there among
people who have little to no technical knowledge in this area yet will
piously claim they always reject cookies because of privacy issues and
the chance of hurting their system. Basically the way the web is wired,
you're going to get cookies, so you might as well learn what they are. I
send people to this site for some basics:
http://www5.zdnet.com/yil/content/surfschool/lingo/lingo_c.html#cookie
They also have other sections which cover a lot of basics, and it's
pretty much right.
And really, I can't blame people too much as the paranoia-inducing ads
from anti-virus software companies just makes me want to scream
sometimes - there's a local one for "Guard Dog" which is so full of
inaccuracies and overstatements that you'd wonder why anyone hearing
would even bother buying the software at all - better to stay off the
internet entirely. It's also a bit of a personal hot button as we've
recently gone to PC's here for everyone so I've been busy training
people at the "this is a mouse" level and everytime they hear an ad like
this or get a "good times" or "do not open any returned mail" type virus
warning, I get to spend half a day explaining hoaxes and calming
everyone down. Drives me nuts. Plus it cuts into my posting time...
Cookies are fine. If it bugs you turn off the warning pop-up. They won't
eat your hard drive. They won't read your mail. Sauron might, but they
won't.
Chris Miller
Received on Fri Mar 20 1998 - 15:42:57 UTC