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Greenguy and Jim Webmaster Tip - Weekly Tip #42 |
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Tip #42: Are Cookie Dangerous?
Magic cookies are a tool used by Web developers to hold onto user submitted information across their Web pages. The key phrases here are user submitted and their Web pages. Web developers cannot gain access to information you have not provided to them.
I have found that it is annoying to be alerted every time a cookie is set, and I like using sites like Amazon or almost any forum where my information is saved for me. If I have the option, I don't save passwords to cookies, but I like having the username pre-written.
But Can't They Track Me With Cookies?
Cookies really aren't all that dangerous. While a Web developer could tell that your computer had visited their page (that is the most common type of cookie set - an identifier so that developers can count the number of unique users), they wouldn't know it was you, specifically, and wouldn't have any additional information about you (other than what you chose to give them).
All they would really have is:
- that you came to the site (or someone using your computer, that is)
- any information you give the site (filling out a form, for example)
- The Web developer cannot track cookies that are not from their site.
- When you come to GreenguyandJim we wouldn't be able to tell that you had been to Yahoo (for example) because our server can't access any cookies that are not set by my server.
Privacy and Cookies
A site has access to any information you provide (including generic information like your IP address, browser type, and the page that referred you to their site, as well as forms you fill out) without using any cookies at all. Thus, it's more important to know the privacy policies of a site than to worry about whether they use cookies.
Thank You For Your Support
Greenguy & Jim
Check out GreenguyandJim.com for even more webmaster tips, tricks, resources & support - and don't forget to come back to Klixxx.com every Tuesday for another exclusive webmaster tip from GreenguyandJim.com!
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