How Cookies Work

What is Cookie?

Computer cookies also called 'HTTP' cookies are small files that a 'Web Site' sends to a user's computer and saved in the hard drive so that it can remember something about you in future. It may be said a cookie records your preferences while visiting a particular site. These files (cookies) record certain information about the computers and its users in relation to a specific 'Website'. A 'Web Server' cannot remember what pages it had sent to a particular user previously or anything about your previous visits. Cookies enable the 'Websites' to record information about a user, his/her preferences, type of browser, IP addresses on the visitor's own computer. Cookies are generally used to display 'Banner Ads' that a 'Web Site' sends so that it doesn't keep on sending the same ad while it sends a succession of requested pages. All web sites ask the visitors to let cookies saved in their computers so that the websites can serve the visitors better.

The information recorded by the 'cookies' are not generally very sensitive in nature but basic information such as user's name, email address etc. This information enables a website to remember a particular visitor when he or she visits the site again in future. Another advantage is that it accelerates the process 'web surfing'.

The main disadvantage is that when a lot of cookies are stored in your computer, it may become very slow. The way out is deleting these cookies and other temporary files at the end of the surfing by running a small program called  'CC Cleaner'. It may be downloaded free. Please refer my page "5 easy ways to run computer faster".