COOKIES

On Mon, 4 Apr 2005 06:14:10 +0000 (UTC), "Tony Moore"

There is absolutely no harm whatsoever in deleting cookies, the contents of the temp folder and temp internet folder, which I check every night before I log off. I also empty them if I've been using Hotmail via webview. Hotmail can be accessed via OE so long as you have an existing account so you don't need to log in repeatedly. (New Hotmail accounts are only available via webview unless you pay for the using OE.) You'd have to log in each time via webview if you have more than one account, as I do.

A lot of cookies are harmless but an equal number are not. The longer you leave them the more information they send back to whoever wants that information.

I don't allow cookies but I can still use internet banking with no problems. If a banking site needs cookies, I have to ask why. Good lord, it's easy enough to leave just the cookies that are needed.

It's no hbuttle re-entering information.

There's absolutely no need to clutter up a computer with unneccesary programs when there are the means to do so with in built facilities. Nor is there any need to clog up a computer with hundreds of cookies either.

I use Spybot S+D, SpywareBlaster (although I wouldn't call them companions). I also use Ad-Aware and it is not "very commercially orientated" altough it is free. It does not use "its own aggressive tracking cookie"! Whoever told you that, told you wrong. It doesn't leave any cookies at all. Ad-Aware, like all other programs I have, isn't allowed to do anything without my specific say so.

Both Ad-Aware and Spybot S+D are known to throw up false positives from time to time. I've not had SpywareBlaster to that so far.

All these programs need to be kept up to date at all times, just like anti-virus programs and firewalls.

I have cookies blocked via my browser (Mozilla) except for specific sites that I need, they are blocked in IE, and they are blocked via my firewall (ZoneAlarm PRo). ActiveX controls in IE must seek permission, they aren't allowed to run automatically. ActiveX doesn't run in Mozilla.

The tone of your post would panic a less savvy user.

-- Genealogy: is it a thing of the past??