The Cookie FAQ

Q. What are cookies, anyway?

A. Cookies are pieces of information a web site asks your computer to remember. Cookies are embedded in the HTML information flowing back and forth between the user's computer and the servers.

Q. What are cookies used for?

A. It is useful for your browser to remember some specific information, which the web server can later retrieve. For example, cookies are used to personalize Web search engines, to help make it easier for users to access Web sites without having to go through a lengthy process of identifying themselves every time they visit, and to store shopping lists of items a user has selected while browsing through a virtual shopping mall. It's much more efficient for each browser to keep track of information like this than to expect the web server to have to remember who bought what, especially if there are thousands of people using it the web server at a time.

Q. Are cookies dangerous?

A. There is absolutely no way for a web server to get access to any private information about you or your computer hard drive through cookies. Also, there is no possible way that a virus could be spread through the use of cookies

Cookies were originally created as a way for web sites to remember things about your visit, like what's in your shopping cart, your zip code (to calculate shipping charges), or your name (so you can be addressed more personally). Unfortunately for all, some unscrupulous web sites use cookies to track your movement across the web, allowing them to build detailed profiles of your interests. This practice is relatively harmless and hardly worth fretting over since the worst thing imaginable is that this information will be used to devise annoying, yet relatively innocuous advertising campaigns, targeted towards specific groups or individuals.

Q. Do cookies invade my privacy?

A. A cookie alone cannot read your hard drive to find out who you are, what your income is, or where you live. The only way that information could end up in a cookie is if you provide the information to a site and for that site to save the information in a cookie. So it is always wise to consider carefully the information you collect and share over the Internet.

It's important to remember that most cookies are good, and that they can provide useful functions on the web.

Q. How do I enable cookies?

A. Cookies can basically be disabled, enabled, or can prompt the user to decide. See below for details.

Enabling Cookies for Netscape

To set Netscape Navigator to "Accept All Cookies:"
Go to the Edit menu and choose Preferences. In Netscape 4, click the Advanced category; in Netscape 6, click the triangle next to the Advanced category to expand the menu and then click the Cookies subcategory. From the options on the right, select either of the Accept choices. You can also check "Warn me" to have the browser ask for your permission each time a site wants to leave a cookie on your computer. Click OK to save changes and close the "Preferences" window.



Enabling Cookies for Internet Explorer

To set Internet Explorer 4 or higher for Windows to "Accept All Cookies:"
Under the Tools (or the view menu), select Internet Options. Select the Security tab and click the Custom Level button. Scroll down to the "Cookies" section and choose either Enable or Prompt for "Allow per-session cookies (not stored)." Click OK to save changes and close both the "Security Settings" and the "Internet Options" windows.

To set Internet Explorer 4 or higher for Mac to "Accept All Cookies":
Go to the Edit menu and choose Preferences, under the Receiving Files category, click on the Cookies subcategory. On the right, for the "When receiving cookies:" option, choose any of the following: "Never ask" (enable all), "Ask for each site," or "Ask for each cookie." Click OK to save changes and close the "Preferences" window.


Enabling Cookies for AOL

1) Click on Settings
2) Click on Category
3) Click on Internet
4) Internet Options Pops-up
5) Click on Privacy
6) Look for "Web Sites"
7) Click on Edit
8) Type in the "Address of Web Site" space: www.house-mouse.com
9) Click on the "Allow" button
10) Click on the "OK" button to close window
11) Click on the "OK" button to close window