it does seem, that..........

[micha1]

the computer is much quieter, since I have disable "cookies"
Perhaps the wizard can tell me the pros and cons of this action.

[wizard]

... in response to it does seem, that.........., posted by micha1 on Dec 21, 2002

Ok, here's the deal with cookies...

Cookies are used to store information on your computer about websites that you have visited... The primary purpose for cookies to remember settings about these websites... The next time you visit a website that placed a cookie on your computer, the website will check to see if it's cookies are on your system... If so, certain website settings can be restored from the cookie... Like fonts, colors, layouts, etc... A good example is the PL website... Once you register and are assigned a "code" to be able to post, the PL website places a cookie on you computer... The next time you post to the forum, the website checks for the cookie containing your posting "code"... If it does not find the cookie, you are prompted to enter your posting code... If you disable cookies, the website cannot place it's cookie on you computer and you will be prompted for your posting code on each post... That is unless the website stores your posting code in a session variable...

A cookie technically cannot block any type of activity on the Internet, like email... Certain types of activities can be blocked by altering you web browser configuration... An example would be changing your security settings in IE... This is very important in that websites and web developers can use techniques to install new components (activex) on your system WITHOUT YOU KNOWING, if you browser security settings are not set correctly... When altering your browser security settings, ALWAYS lean toward to more conservative settings and you will be protecting you computer and your privacy...

Cookies cannot launch a process independently... Think of a cookie as a data file that holds configuration information for a program... Any type of information can be stored in a cookie... Anything you enter (type) on a website can be stored for later retrieval... But a cookie cannot start a program on your system automatically...

I'm not sure if this answers you question, probably not... I guess the bottom line is that disabling cookies has nothing to do with your computer being "quieter"... I'm not really sure what you mean by quieter... Now, if you computer breaks into the chorus of "You've lost that lovin' feeling" in the middle of the night, I'd just b!tch-slap it and tell it to be quiet...

wizard

[Michael B]

... in response to Cookies..., posted by wizard on Dec 21, 2002

might not "start a program on your system automaticaly" but they CAN and DO slow you down on the internet by wasting your I/O reporting stuff back to their master. Ever click on the status of your connection and watch the "bytes sent" keep getting bigger and bigger when you aren't even doing anything? I run Ad-aware at least once a day and it always finds at least 3 or 4 spies...and I delete them and things (i.e. the internet traffic I WANT) speeds up noticibly as soon as I do....not to mention that it isn't really any of their business what sites I have been to. I have nothing against beneighn (sp?) cookies like PL saving my password but I hate spy cookies.

[BURKE89]

... in response to Spy cookies, posted by Michael B on Dec 21, 2002

Michael,

How might (Ad-aware), differ from the Cookie-cache washer I recently purchased. It, the C.C.W, allowed me to clean certain areas that were formerly verboten from extraction.

Please explain these spies angles, if you would be so kind.

Vaughn

[Michael B]

... in response to Re: Spy cookies, posted by BURKE89 on Dec 22, 2002

I'm not familiar with Cookie-Cache Washer, but from the name and your description, I think they are just different brands of a similar product. Ad-aware is a free, that's probably the major difference. There are probably a dozen or more products like this. Ad-aware is good, but I don't know if it is perfect, there could be a better product that I'm not aware of.