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 What
is a cookie
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Computer Basics
By Mitz
Free computer Tips
What is a cookie?
Usually thought as some kind
of biscuit, however in computer language it means something completely
different. A text
information message that is stored on your computer when you visit a web page.
When you return to the page the cookie is used to recognize you. It records
information such as your name, site login
password, preferences, shopping cart info, and more..
A cookie does not collect information about you
or take any files from your computer. It is solely used to enable you to have a
faster and more pleasant experience on the internet. The default browser setting is for cookies to be
accepted, however sometime you may have to enable them yourself.
Why do we need cookies?
We don't actually need cookies at all. There is
no need to remember or record the internet surfing habits of everyone on the
internet, however there can be some advantages.
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Faster Internet Browsing - Pages load
quicker because they know who you are and what you like.
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Websites can remember you - Most sites
will remember you when you load it into Internet Explorer. It's easy when
you don't have to put your password in every time you visit a site.
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Personalize websites - Some sites let
you change what you see. For example you can see news that only applies to
your local area. Without cookies, this would not be possible.
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Optimized websites - Webmasters can see
which of their pages is popular and which are not worth keeping on the web.
How to view your cookies?
This applies to Internet Explorer 4,5,6 and 7
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When you have Internet Explorer open go to the
tools menu at the top.
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Choose Internet Options.
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Go to the General Tab.
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Under the heading, browsing history,
press the Settings button.
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Then press View files button.
Notes
on cookies:
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About the Author
Mitz wrote this article and others for
tips4pc.com Browse
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way. Also see our very popular
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a video is a very easy way to learn about computers.
I hope you've found this tutorial clear and easy to
understand. If you have more questions, feel free to visit our
FORUM and we'll be
happy to help.
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