Are Cookies Safe?
review from ClifNotes, Apr 2007, permalink Windows Tips
From Clif:
I don't worry about cookies on my PC. Cookies aren't going to cause me to get infected with a keylogger or a virus or adware. If some cookies are evil, they are a necessary evil. Most of the services on the internet either wouldn't work or wouldn't be free without them.
Here's what Terry at Terry's Computer Tips thinks about it. I agree with him on this one.
Quote from Terry's Computer Tips
Web site income is another use of cookies -- they allow an advertising agency to track a referral from a web site to the advertiser. This is a necessary part of the free Internet — if you want free content, the content providers have to make their money on advertising.
This is the cookie function that is blown all out of proportion by the anti-spyware companies. Cookies are easy to find, so it's easy for the program to say "I found Spyware!" That's why you'll find vastly different numbers of "spyware items" found on your computer depending on which antispyware you use -- some seem to declare ANY cookie to be spyware.
What do I do with cookies?
I don't worry about them. I have my web browsers set to accept them automatically.
Read the rest of the article:
Temporary Files, Passwords, Cookies and Privacy
