I have internet cookies expiring 12/30/68 along with some other strange looking dates. Can someone tell me what the purpose of cookies are and why do I need them?

-- Curious (dwilson310@aol.com), January 02, 2000

Answers

The cookies are a small text file stored on your computer that are created by internet sites that need or want to know your identity.....

As http is a stateless protocol, cookies allow sites to track you from one page on their site to another so they know you are the same user....for example on an e-commerce site they would need to know that you are the same user that bought a book on one page, a CD on another page and who owns the Visa card to pay for it on another page. Without cookies it would be impossible to run most interactive sites effectively.

Cookies also allow you to access a site directly once you have registered your name and password during one session......in other words the Server looks for your "cookie" and if it is there it checks your name and password out and lets you in the site seamlessly.....

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), January 02, 2000.

Delete them all. You can even delete the whole file. (Don't worry -- it'll be recreated, eventually.) You can determine your preferences in Netscape in "Edit | Preferences | Advanced". I also keep "cookies.txt" in my Task Bar Start Menu "recent docs" list. Just click and edit out everything past the header, and save. (You can definitely IGNORE the "do not edit" warning.)

-- A (A@AisA.com), January 02, 2000.