I'd say periodically delete your cookies. On PC's there's lots of software (like Ad-Aware) that makes it easy to delete just cookies from known ad-tracking sites. Unfortunately I don't see similar products on the Mac side so I tend to just delete all the cookies manually.
Maybe somebody on this list can offer a pointer to some equivalent on the Mac side to Ad-Aware? --- Rex. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:owner-macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu] On Behalf Of Marta Edie Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2004 3:58 PM To: macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu Subject: Re: MacGroup: cookies Rex, thanks, that is all very good to know, and I know all that, so would it be better to just tell the browser in the preferences to NOT accept any cookies? Would that then slow up the process? I have set mine to only sites that I navigate to (Safari has this option) but I also navigate to sites that prove unsatisfactory, should I then trash these sites? My cookies are so plentyful at the moment that I think I should take some action. Marta On Jul 21, 2004, at 14:49, Rex Baldazo wrote: > 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: owner-macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu > [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> > | 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>
