Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 12:17:44 -0500 From: Gareth Branwyn Subject: Re: Cookies >Do you mean the downloaded copies of Telnet and what not that Web sites >send you automatically--or something else? > >Wayne Glowka Cookies are preference files that a website keeps on *your* computer. For instance, if you set up an account on the New York Times site, the password that you've asked them to remember is stored on your end via a cookie. If you define a series of preferences on a customizable website, all that info lives in a cookie file. Cookies have been somewhat controversial. Users were concerned in the beginning that other websites might be able to steal your cookies and learn things about your online haunts and viewing habits. After many articles and a concerted effort on the part of sites that use cookies to calm people's fears, this practice has continued (and likely increased). If you want to see how ubiquitous cookies are, there's a preference in Navigator (and I assume Explorer) that asks your permission before storing any cookies. You'll quickly become tired of hitting the "OK" button. -------------------------------------------- Gareth Branwyn garethb2[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]aol.com, http://home.earthlink.net/~garethb2/ Contributing editor, Wired Co-author _Happy Mutant Handbook_ (Putnam), Author _Jargon Watch: A Pocket Dictionary for the Jitterati_ (HardWired)