What is a Cookie?
A cookie is a small text file containing a unique identification number that a Web site sends to your computer's web browser. While you visit a particular site, a cookie may be used to track the activities of your browser as well as provide you with a consistent, more efficient experience. There are two common types of cookies: persistent and non-persistent.
Persistent cookies
Persistent cookies are stored on your computer's hard drive where they remain resident until they are either deleted or they reach a predetermined expiration date. Persistent cookies are most commonly used to provide visitors with a customized experience by recording preferences such as how a visitor prefers to have his/her web pages displayed. Additionally, cookies are commonly used to gather statistical information such as the average time spent on a particular page. This kind of information is valuable for several reasons, including providing insight on how to improve the design, content and navigation of a Web site.
Non-persistent cookies
Non-persistent cookies do not permanently record data and they are not
stored on your computer's hard drive. Rather, non-persistent cookies are
stored in memory and are only available during an active session. Once
a session ends, the cookie disappears. Non-persistent cookies are used
primarily for technical reasons such as providing seamless navigation.
For example, secure RBC Web sites such
as Online Banking use non-persistent cookies in order to permit visitors
to navigate through the pages without requiring them to log on to each
additional page they wish to visit.
Why Were Cookies Created?
The World Wide Web uses the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to govern how files such as graphics, text and sound are exchanged over the Internet. This protocol treats every action (i.e. mouse clicks) independently making the nature of the Web 'stateless'. This means that every time you click on a new page for instance, a new connection is established and all previous activity is forgotten.
To provide visitors with a more uniform experience, cookies were used originally to maintain relevant information as visitors viewed various pages of a Web site. In effect, cookies were created to bring state and consistency to the 'stateless' environment of the Internet.
How do Cookies Work?
The first time you visit a Web site, you may be sent a cookie that contains a unique identification number that can be easily retrieved during future visits. Cookies are used for different purposes such as to personalize the way you want a Web site to look.
When you type the Web site address in the address bar of your browser, your browser will contact the site you've entered and request its home page. The browser will search your hard drive for a cookie that may have been sent during a previous visit. If a cookie is found, the browser will send any information gathered from a previous visit to the web server. If a cookie is not found, then the browser will know you have not visited the site before.
|
