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The Evils of Cookies
elvenangel
Member Posts: 2,205
in Help Desk
Isn't there anyway to get this site to work with atleast Minium security on cookies! It kinda sucks to have all sorts of things set up to protect my computer when surfing the net and then have to turn half of them off for like one site.
I mean don't get me wrong I don't hate cookies, infact I keep several on my machine, but the fact I have to leave the browser open to all cookies, sort of sucks?
Please Refer to Doom Cat with all conspiracies & evil corporation complaints. He'll give you the simple explination of..WE"RE ALL DOOMED!
Comments
If you use a real browser liek FireFox, then you can tell it to allow cookies from some sites and not others.
I use firefox and I also have a strong dislike of tracking cookies
and I'm getting really good at the url cut when I pay a visit here.
Whats up with everyone and cookies I cookies arn't bad infact they are quit good I like.....
anways they are really not bad don't use IE and you won't have to worry and people don't have to read your useless posts.
I am gonna have to go with you on this. I am a web developer and programmer. Cookies are not harmful by any means. They can't hurt your computer and they take so little space they would never take a noticeable amount of space on your hard drive.
- Fadeus Hawkwood
- Scaris
"What happened to you, Star Wars Galaxies? You used to look like Leia. Not quite gold bikini Leia (more like bad-British-accent-and-cinnamon-bun-hair Leia), but still Leia nonetheless. Now you look like Chewbacca." - Computer Gaming World
What do you call a tracking cookie and what about it don't you like? A cookie is not an intelligent program that can sit and monitor you. You have to browse to a site that will modify THAT particular cookie for the tracking to be effective. Someone like amazon.com will use tracking cookies to get more of the products your interested in before your eyes, but once you leave amazon it doesn't keep tracking you. It cant. I am sure there are some networks of sites that all work off the same tracking cookie so they can watch your patterns, my recomendation is to use your head when you browse and you will never have to worry about it.
- Fadeus Hawkwood
- Scaris
"What happened to you, Star Wars Galaxies? You used to look like Leia. Not quite gold bikini Leia (more like bad-British-accent-and-cinnamon-bun-hair Leia), but still Leia nonetheless. Now you look like Chewbacca." - Computer Gaming World
What do you call a tracking cookie and what about it don't you like? A cookie is not an intelligent program that can sit and monitor you. You have to browse to a site that will modify THAT particular cookie for the tracking to be effective. Someone like amazon.com will use tracking cookies to get more of the products your interested in before your eyes, but once you leave amazon it doesn't keep tracking you. It cant. I am sure there are some networks of sites that all work off the same tracking cookie so they can watch your patterns, my recommendation is to use your head when you browse and you will never have to worry about it.
- Fadeus Hawkwood
Fadeus is correct. Cookies can log things about you, however, it's the spyware programs and malware that you should be worried about. Cookies can only log things when they are directly accessed and modified. You are talking about a 1-4Kb file at most, there is no way to make that run like a program to watch what you do. Things such as gator.com are especially bad. Those are the programs that run in the background that log what you do. Cookies can be used for tracking purposes, while they are accessed.
Cookies have been given a far worse smear campaign then they deserve. Without cookies every webpage you customized would be reset as soon as you left the site and the cache was gone. It wouldn't remember passwords for you (which I do use on very generic sites with no personal info). And yes, they can be opened by vicious means (ie hackers, spyware, malware, etc), but they aren't the problem. The programs that actively log what you do and where you go, and scan your cookies on your behalf to report to disreputable sites are the primary cause.
The worst cookies I've come across (that would be considered malicious by most spyware programs) simply log when you visit, what you visited, and how long you were at the site. Even advertisement cookies from banners, can only log what you click on to target advertisements to you. It doesn't hurt to remove some of them, but they aren't the source of the problems.
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I think what is really horrible is media and other outlets spreading fear by misinformation. Without cookies the web would be bland and sessionless. Cookies enable web developers to break the "stateless" limits of HTTP and do more with their site. Even when used in a "bad" way they are pretty limited in what they could do. They can monitor what sites you visit (3rd party cookies only - which we never use)- but heck - the cable box on your TV is doing the same thing (how do you think network ratings are generated).
Oh well...
- MMORPG.COM Staff -
The dead know only one thing: it is better to be alive.