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 (see caveat below).
Your Guide's Opinion of Cookies
I allow cookies, the only distinction I make is that the cookies must be from the same server that I'm on (Netscape allows me to choose that in the options). I have found that it is annoying to be alerted every time a cookie is set, and I like using sites like Amazon or the About forums 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 read information that is on your hard drive. That bears repeating. The Web developer cannot read information that is on your hard drive. The only information that cookies can read is information that you have provided to the cookie, either through your browser, through the server referrer codes, or through forms you have filled out.
Privacy and Cookies
If you're concerned about privacy issues with cookies, you would be better off finding out the privacy policies of the sites you visit. The About privacy policy is here: http://webdesign.about.com/compute/html/gi/pages/mprivacy.htm As I've said before, cookies only keep track of information you provide to the Web site (see caveat below). So, if you don't want the developers to know something, don't fill out that part of the form.
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.
One Caveat
User submitted information includes things submitted by the browser, such as the name and version of the browser and the IP address that the reader is using to access the Internet. While there is a way for servers to ask for things such as your name, most browsers will not provide that information to Web servers.
Still Nervous
If you are still worried about your privacy and cookies, you might want to look into getting a personal firewall or software to block information transmission across the Internet. An easy one to use is Norton Internet Security. It blocks cookies, objectionable material, Web banner ads, and other things.
