A cookie is used in a web application to store data on a user’s computer. A cookie is a text file, which contains information that is sent to a web server any time a user visits a website. Often times the information stored is used to help customize and personalize a website. For instance, a user’s name and interests may be stored in the cookie, and when they visit the website that created the cookie, the website displays their name and interests (Webopedia – What is a cookie?, 2006).
Cookies can be used to personalize e-commerce applications. They can contain values that are read by the web server which provide a personal experience when browsing a website. For example, when a user enters in their name for the first time, that information may be stored in a cookie. Then, every time the user visits the website, their name is read from the cookie and displayed on the web page. Cookies are also used in shopping cart applications to store temporary data, such as items that are stored in a shopping cart (Merchandizer.com –What Exactly Are Cookies?, 2006).
The only real disadvantage to using cookies is that some user’s may not have their browser’s enabled to use them for security reasons. Although cookies are merely text files and are considerably safe to use, there are some security concerns when it comes to using cookies. For instance, a user’s credit card information or other personal information, such as a social security number might be stored in a cookie, which could be read by anyone who has access to the user’s system (Cookie Central – The Cookie Concept, 2006).
If security is a concern, it is possible to control your web browser’s security settings to allow or prevent cookies from being created on your computer (Webopedia – Do Cookies Compromise Security?, 2006). This can cause issues however when attempting to use certain web applications. For instance, disabling cookies may prevent you from being able to use shopping cart applications. As a user adds items to their shopping cart, these items are stored in a temporary cookie. If cookies are disabled, the items will not be placed in the shopping cart (Merchandizer.com –What Exactly Are Cookies?, 2006).
Resources:
Webopedia – What is a Cookie? (2006). Retrieved August 3, 2006 from http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/c/cookie.html
Merchandizer.com –What Exactly Are Cookies? (2006). Retrieved August 3, 2006 from http://www.merchandizer.com/Ecommerce-Articles/2006%5C03%5Cwhat-exactly-are-cookies.html
Cookie Central – The Cookie Concept. (2006). Retrieved August 3, 2006 from http://www.cookiecentral.com/c_concept.htm
Webopedia – Do Cookies Compromise Security? (2006). Retrieved August 3, 2006 from http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Internet/2002/Cookies.asp
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