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What is a Cookie?

A “cookie” is a small piece of information that is sent by a web server to be stored on a web browser, so that it can later be read back from that browser the next time this unique visitor returns to that web server. This becomes useful for having the browser remember specific information about this visitor like location of their last visit, time spent, or user preferences (like style sheets). The cookie is a text file that is saved in the browser’s directory and is stored in RAM while the browser is running. Also, the cookie may be stored on the computer’s hard drive once you log off from that web site or web server.



What are Cookies used for?

One use of cookies is for storing passwords and user ID’s for specific web sites. Also, they are used to store preferences of start pages. On sites with personalized viewing, your web browser will be requested to utilize a small amount of space on your computer’s hard drive to store these preferences. That way, each time you log on to that web site, your browser will check to see if you have any pre-defined preferences (a cookie) for that unique server. If you do, the browser will send the cookie to the server along with your request for a web page. Microsoft and Netscape use cookies to create personal start pages on their web sites. Common uses for which companies utilize cookies include: on-line ordering systems, site personalization, and web site tracking.

Site personalization is one of the most beneficial uses for cookies. For example, a person comes to the CNN site, but does not want to see any business news. The site allows the person to select this choice as an option. From then on (or until the cookie expires), the person would not see business news when they access the CNN web pages.

Some visitors feel it is an invasion of privacy for a website to track their progress on a site and choose to turn off cookies in their browser. While others only allow cookies to be used on sites they know like banking and investment sites that need to track your personal session variables while navigating within their web pages.

What are Persistent Cookies?

Persistent cookies are stored on your hard drive by a Web Page server for a length of time that is set by the Web server when it passes the cookie to your browser. These cookies are used to store client-side state information between visits to a site.

What are Session Cookies?

Per-session cookies are used to store state information Only Within A Session. These cookies are cached only while a user is visiting the Web server issuing the per-session cookie and Are Deleted from the cache when the user closes the session.

Per-session cookies are frequently used by Active Server Pages (ASP) running on Microsoft Internet Information Server 3.0 or later. These cookies store session information as the user navigates to multiple ASP pages in a site.

How can I control which Cookies I want to accept?

You can order your browser to accept all cookies or to alert you every time a cookie is offered. Then you can decide whether to accept one or not.

See the Microsoft web page to help you set these options in Internet Explorer.
How to Manage Cookies in Internet Explorer 6

Internet Explorer (6.0)

  1. Select Tools from the top menu.
  2. Choose Internet Options.
  3. Select the Privacy tab.
  4. Select Advanced.
  5. Deselect override automatic cookie handling button (default setting)
    or you can choose how cookies are handle in the internet zone.
  6. Click on the OK button at the bottom of the screen.
  7. Click OK to exit.

Internet Explorer (7.0)

  1. Select Tools > Internet Options.
  2. Click on the Privacy tab.
  3. Select Advanced.
  4. Deselect override automatic cookie handling button (default setting)
    or you can choose how cookies are handle in the internet zone.
  5. Click on the OK button at the bottom of the screen.
  6. Click OK to exit.

Mozilla Firefox (1.0+)

  1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
  2. Click the Privacy icon.
  3. Under the Cookies section, click Accept cookies from sites.
  4. Select under Keep until: select the desired level of cookie acceptance.
      -     I close Firefox (recommended)
  5. Click OK to exit.

Mac OS X Safari (1.0+)

  1. Click Safari on the menu bar.
  2. Click Preferences.
  3. Click the Security icon.
  4. Under Accept Cookies.
  5. Click either "Always" or "Only from sites you navigate to" (recommended)
  6. Close window to finish.

Mac OS X FireFox (1.0+)

  1. Click FireFox on the menu bar.
  2. Click Preferences.
  3. Click the Privacy icon.
  4. Under Cookies.
  5. Click "Allow sites to set cookies" and "for the originating web site only"
  6. Under "Keep Cookies" select the desired level of cookie acceptance.
  7. Click OK to finish.

Please Note: If you do not see your browser type listed above, do a web search for your browser and follow the online line directions.

If you have a question that is not addressed in these pages, please contact the ITD Helpdesk for support. Off-hour phone calls are handled by a trained helpdesk analyst 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Off-hour emails will be handled on the next business day.

Call the Helpdesk for 24x7 support

Bus: 631.344.5522
Fax: 631-344-2140
Email: itdhelp@bnl.gov

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Last Modified: July 31, 2008


One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security. Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE’s Office of Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit, applied science and technology organization.

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