Delicious
and Nutritious!For even more in-depth technical information and links, you've got to check out Malcolm's Guide to Persistent Cookies. He and Andy were both referenced right alongside Netscape itself on C|Net.A Cookie is a little nugget of information. This nugget is saved at the browser. The browser will send its cookie back to the server (this is the server that originally set the cookie) whenever it goes back to that server.
This little mechanism can be used to do lots of cool things like customizing your page for each person that comes to it or saving shopping cart information.
For a darker view of Cookies and other Net-related privacy issues, see the Center for Democracy and Technology page. A little paranoia goes a long way! So lighten up, and remember, you like junk mail."
This overview of cookies is courtesy of Robert Brook's Cookie Taste Test: http://www.oocities.org/SoHo/4535/cookie.html
Cookies -- sometimes called magic cookies, but
formally known as a way of maintaining persistent client state HTTP cookies --
enable the host site to store information on the client's browser's computer for
later retrieval. Although they have drawbacks, cookies are the most powerful
technique available presently for maintaining state within a Web site.
Netscape originally came up with the original cookie specification, but even they insist that there is no good reason for calling them a cookie. In their simplest form, cookies store data in the form of name =value pairs. You the developer, can pick any name and value combination you want. More advanced cookie features include the capability to set an expiration date and to specify what Web pages may see the cookie information.
The advantages of cookies is their persistence which can be set for days, months or even years. This makes it easy to save user preferences and visit information available every time the user returns to your site. Because JavaScript has functions for reading, adding, and editing cookies, your JavaScript programs can use them to store global variables about a user as they surf through your website.
The limitations of cookies could be a problem, they are stored on the user's computer, usually in a special cookie file, which could either be accidentally or purposefully deleted, taking all the browser's cookie information with it. This file could also be write-protected preventing any cookies from being stored there. Also since a cookie stores browser information, a problem could arise if the user switches between multiple browsers. Or if there are multiple users, the browser has no way of knowing which cookie is for which user.
The disadvantages of cookies, are both real and imagined. Because cookies are stored in an unencrypted text file, sensitive information such as credit cards and passwords should never be saved to a cookie file otherwise anyone with access to your computer could read them. Also when some browsers alert the user that the site wants to set a cookie on their hard drive, the user can panic and think something strange is going to be put in their computer. Also if cookies are totally disabled, a carefully designed web page could be totally disabled and may not be able to run at all. Even though other sites can't read a different site's cookie, a lot of people are afraid that Uncle Sam is monitoring them and will use information about them against themselves, violating their privacy.
And although possible, cookies are rarely used yet for spying on people, and as of yet, there are easier, cheaper ways of getting that kind if not better information.
More Information about Cookies can be found at the following websites:Netscape cookie information page: http://www.netscape.com/newsref/std/cookie_spec.html
Article about tracking cookies at the Hotwired Web site: http://www.artic.org/-dgaudet/cookies
Cookie Central: http://www.cookiecentral.com/
Browsers supporting cookies: http://www.research.digital.com/nsl/formtest/stats
Created By Wendy Slopsema
CISB204 -- Assignment 4