 |
Further
Reading ...
|
|
Free Popularity Metrics: The Real Deal in Web Site Assesment
With millions of domains in existence and more added every day, it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell the established business from the start up. This is why using popularity metric services can come in handy. Use of this information can...
We'll Just Rule the World Now, OK?
One has to wonder if the corporate directive at Microsoft is as blatant as it seems from the outside. What is it that makes them behave as if monopolistic bullying is an inherent right for the biggest, baddest damned behemoth ever to roam the face...
The Ten Commandments of Internet Marketing
We hope that the following article may be informative and helpful to your e-zine readers, or on your web site. You have permission to publish this article (formatted to 60 characters, approx) electronically or in print. If it helps others "out...
WORK EMAIL LIKE A PRO
TIME WASTER. Do you find yourself constantly checking your mail? Are you sick and tired of responding to the same old requests? Or do you simply get to the end of the day and wonder where all your time has gone? By working a little smarter, you can...
|
|
|
Cookies aren't just for eating anymore
|
 |
Written By:
Lia Spithas
|
|
|
Confused about cookies? Not the chocolate chip variety; the computer-related kind. Here is some information that'll help you understand what cookies do, why they do it, and how to control them.
First, a definition. Cookies are tiny text files which are placed on your computer's hard drive by a Web server, ready for future access. They have many applications, but are mainly used to personalize your Internet search engine by storing information like passwords, Web addresses, and virtual shopping carts. Cookies are important when you personalize a Web page, register for products or services, or shop, because information becomes easy to access each time you re-visit a specific Web site.
Cookies are based on a two-step process. During the first step, after visiting a Web site, a Web server creates text which contains your personalized information and then transmits that information, in a text file, to your hard drive. The second step is for your computer to transfer the text file (cookie) back to the Web server. Whenever you direct your browser to display a Web site, the browser transmits the cookie back to the Web server. This is why you see local weather on your personal Yahoo page or "Welcome Bob" when visiting Amazon.com.
"We use cookies in our programming so that users have a better online experience," says IdeaStar Software Developer Doug Hayes. "Cookies are especially important for consumer Web sites like the health insurance and performing arts sites that IdeaStar develops. And they are vital to larger consumer and password protected sites."
Some people assume that tracking Web activity and storing information with cookies is a problem, because information is being silently gathered and transferred - continued below ...
|
|
|
continued ...
without any notification. However, for the average Internet user, information contained in cookies only improves the Internet experience. Still, knowing that cookies are working behind the scenes doesn't hurt.
Generally, Web browsers are set to automatically delete cookies after a set amount of time, eliminating the need to manually remove them. Similarly, your browser may be set to automatically replace older cookies with newer ones, so that they are constantly adjusting. However, Doug says "It is a good idea to delete cookies if you are using a shared computer. If you don't, there is a chance that the next person could log on and pick up right where you left off. The main thing to remember is that almost everything will be stored (at least temporarily), so be cautious of what information you are sharing."
Although there are some variations, cookies may be controlled in many browsers in the following way:
1. Select Tools, then
2. Options or Internet Options
3. Click the Privacy or Security tab
4. Then follow the instructions for cookies.
Or, you can go to GetNetWise (http://privacy.getnetwise.org/browsing/tools/) and read the instructions on how to change your browser's setting to customize how it manages cookies.(There's even a link to help determine which Web browser you are using.) Keep in mind disabling all cookies, could limit your use of some sites and can prevent you from accessing others.
About the Author
Lia Spithas works for IdeaStar Inc., which designs, develops, manages and promotes leading-edge Web sites. Read more about us at:
http://www.ideastar.com
http://www.insurance-technologies.com
http://ideastar.blogspot.com/
http://insuratech.blogspot.com/
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
| _Additional Resources ... |
|
How and Why to Start Writing Articles to Promote Your Website in the Search Engine
We will cover all the facets of writing articles in this piece. Later on you can learn and think about each one of these in detail as and when you choose to.
The first thing that comes to my mind is the oft repeated sentence "I can't write, oh!...
Five Common Web Marketing Myths Exposed
Myth #1: Build it and they will come Traffic is everything. As thousands of webmasters have already learned, you can have a catchy domain name and an impeccably designed website already on the web. You can even have it indexed by the search...
Your Own Personal Online Shopper
Imagine you find yourself in the market to buy a new digital camera and, before you part with your money, you want to comparison shop for the best price online. If you do a search for "digital camera" on Google.com , the Web's top search...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
