Observations
  • Home
  • Observations
  • Trendcasting
  • Odds 'n Ends
  • Science/Technology/Experiments
  • Mental Health

Tracking Cookies-You Can Run But You Cannot Hide!

4/16/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Cookies are very much like a footprint and wherever you walk, you leave a trail.
A cookie is the term given to describe a type of message that is given to web browser by a web server. For example if you visit Amazon using Firefox, Google Chrome, or Internet Explorer, or other browser, you will probably receive a cookie. The main purpose of a cookie is to identify users and possibly prepare customized web pages or to save site login information for you. When you enter a website using cookies, you may be asked to fill out a form providing personal information; like your name, e-mail address, and interests. This information is packaged into a cookie and sent to your web browser, which then stores the information for later use. The next time you go to the same web site, your browser will send the cookie to the web server. The message is sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server. A web server has no memory, so the hosted web site you are visiting transfers a cookie file of the browser on your computer's hard disk so that the web site can remember who you are and your preferences. This message exchange allows the web server to use this information to present you with customized web pages. A common example is that of returning to a web site previously visited that will greet you with a “Hello John Doe” instead of just a generic “welcome”. Unless of course your name is not John Doe!
Cookies are made up of text only and cannot be executed so they are not viral in nature. But, they do provide some information that may be considered a breach of privacy by some, and not so much by others. For example, most web sites need statistics to see how many people are visiting their site, how long they stay, and which pages are most popular. But these usually do not have personal information. A program used by many sites is Statcounter, and another is Google Webstats. And, there are many kinds of cookies; tracking, persistent, third party, super cookies, and zombie.
Because the subject is quite extensive and cannot be adequately covered in detail here, I would suggest the article on Wikipedia here. This is a good start and you can follow up with cookie managemant on you particular browser. Cookie anyone?

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture


    An observer of life and our changing times-Ken

    .

    Categories

    All
    Advertising
    Aspirin
    Car Crashes
    Change
    China
    Corn Ethanol
    Custome Service
    Dancing Bears
    Drunk Drivers
    Dunkin's
    E-Cards
    Evolution
    Experts?
    Failure
    Free
    Good Egg
    Hackers And Crackers
    Internet Radio
    Internet Size
    Layaway
    Listeria
    Manufacturing
    Misleading Medical Reports
    Monopoly 2.0
    Multitasking
    Nature
    Needs
    Noise
    Nurture
    Observation And Inference
    Online Credit Card Fraud
    Online Learning
    Political Circus
    Political Double Speak
    Reality Television
    Search Engines
    Talent
    Term Limits
    Violence
    Wants
    Youtube

    Archives

    June 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    April 2019
    October 2018
    April 2018
    December 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011

    Categories

    All
    Advertising
    Aspirin
    Car Crashes
    Change
    China
    Corn Ethanol
    Custome Service
    Dancing Bears
    Drunk Drivers
    Dunkin's
    E-Cards
    Evolution
    Experts?
    Failure
    Free
    Good Egg
    Hackers And Crackers
    Internet Radio
    Internet Size
    Layaway
    Listeria
    Manufacturing
    Misleading Medical Reports
    Monopoly 2.0
    Multitasking
    Nature
    Needs
    Noise
    Nurture
    Observation And Inference
    Online Credit Card Fraud
    Online Learning
    Political Circus
    Political Double Speak
    Reality Television
    Search Engines
    Talent
    Term Limits
    Violence
    Wants
    Youtube

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.