The biggest upside to cookies is that it's a way for Web sites to remember you. That is unfortunately also the biggest downside.
For example, once you've logged onto Amazon.com it sets a cookie in your browser so that the next time you visit, they can remember who you are and give you personalized recommendations. By the same token it also means ad-serving companies can track you across the Internet (in the interest of full disclosure, my employer does serve ads from Doubleclick on occasion). So for example if you visit two sites that both serve Doubleclick ads, then Doubleclick knows something about your Web surfing habits and can (theoretically) use that profile information to target their ads better. And sell that profile info to advertisers (i.e., Honda might want to target banner ads to women with young kids, so Doubleclick could slice thru their database looking for users who've visited both iVillage.com and Toysrus.com. It wouldn't be a perfect demographic match but it might be pretty darned good). --- Rex. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:owner-macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu] On Behalf Of Marta Edie Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2004 2:38 PM To: MacUser Group MacUserGroup Subject: MacGroup: cookies Hello, group! What are the benefits and disadvantages for keeping cookies or removing cookies. Or: When might it become necessary to remove all cookies and in what way would that be beneficial or hurtful to me? I haven't heard the official voice on that Marta | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will be July 27. | The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>. | List posting address: <mailto:macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu> | List Web page: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup> | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will | be July 27. The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>. | List posting address: <mailto:macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu> | List Web page: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup>
