by Tina Z. Velgos

They're not my favorite cookies. They don't have chocolate chips in them and these cookies don't go well with milk. In fact, they probably taste lousy. Certainly not home-made, these commercial cookies are an invasion of privacy!

A cookie is an information device that some Web sites use to share information between their servers and your Internet browser. A file (the cookie) then remains in your own computer's Preference file. Each time you visit the same Web site, more information will be "shared", thanks to a cookie.

Although not all Web browsers support cookies, if you're using Netscape (1.1 & higher) or Microsoft Internet Explorer, you're subject to these cookies from hell.

In my opinion, sites which use cookies to gather information on their "guests" should be avoided. In fact, please join me in writing letters to the webmasters of these sites expressing your disappointment in this blatant, commercial exploit.

We use Netscape 3.0 and intentionally set the preferences to display a dialog box which alerts us whenever a server wishes to send a cookie. Nothing annoys me more (besides Windows only CD-ROMs!) than waiting through seven or eight identical messages which blab "the server wishes to send you a cookie yada, yada, yada". Although I click "no", the obnoxious messages continue. Of course, the web page won't load until the dialog box disappears. Some users, in obvious frustration, click "yes" just to bypass the gridlock. Other users, feeling impatient after over-loading on caffeine at the capuccino bar, turn off the preference option allowing cookies automatically.

What does all of this mean? By accepting a cookie, you are allowing a web site to establish a sort-of database on YOU! The web site, including its marketing/advertising types, can spy on what you've read or clicked on at their site, how long you spent surfing the site and more. Let's take the hypothetical example of surfer Joe who decides to check out XYZ site while at work. Could this information cookie find its way into the hands of Big Bob Supervisor? Stranger things have happened.

Privacy invasion is certainly nothing new on the Internet. In fact, it's exactly what happens when you subscribe to America Online (AOL), for example. Of course, AOL has access to personal information on their subscribers (home addresses, phone numbers, credit card information) and records of the number of hours users spend in certain areas (such as chat rooms). How secure is this information? The possibilities are chilling.

Some so-called experts argue that cookies are useful and allow regular users of Web sites to by-pass tedious log-in procedures and create personalized sites. However, I contend that web sites who use cookies may inenvitably be tempted to sell certain information to direct-mail types who will flood e-mail boxes with personalized junk.

For instance, haven't you ever received unwelcome messages in your e-mail box? These advertisers, who claim you can delete your name from their "list", certainly didn't have permission from you to send you mail in the first place. Once you're on a list, it can take several attempts to be removed from the list. What a waste of time!

How can you make these cookies crumble? If you are stronger than me, you can sacrifice Netscape (1.1 or higher) or Microsoft Internet Explorer. By changing browsers to AOL 2.7, MacWeb or Mosaic (to name a few), you can ditch these nasty cookies once and for all.

A better suggestion is to manually dump your cookie files (called "MagicCookie" in Netscape, and cookies.txt in Internet Explorer) after finishing every Web session.

Shareware is also available to munch these cookies. Some of the titles include Cookie Monster 1.5, Cookie Cutter 1.0 (works only with Netscape), Kill the Cookie and No More Cookies 1.0.

Of course, beware of the pesky browser bugs who seem to lurk in certain versions of Netscape. There have been instances where Web sites which use JavaScript have access to users' e-mail addresses whenever users set-up and use their Netscape mail function.

Privacy concerns will always be around. If you assume that there's a possibility of bugs with Javascript embedded web sites, you can certainly turn off Java and Javascript (Netscape 3.0). Again, by doing that you lose any cool animation and special effects on the Web.

The choice is ultimately yours whether you want to accept or deny a cookie. If you are a parent and have children who are allowed to surf the Web, you should help them understand what cookies are all about and discuss your policy regarding cookies. After all, most parents concerned about the safety of their children and family know the true value and importance of privacy. You can live without these cookies!

---

Back to Pandora's Toybox Main Page