Does This Web Site Install Cookies On Your Computer?

[10ClarionSt]

Virtually every site now says that by using it, you agree to cookies being installed on your computer. Why can they do this when they know that such things can cause your computer to operate slowly, which is why we are always being told to delete these things via Internet Options. As soon as I enter a web site, I always delete cookies etc. But does this mean they are deleted whilst on the web site e.g. visit the web site, delete, then carry on? Or will they just be installed again? I think it's the equivalent of junk mail and phone calls.

[ST24]

If you have a look at the preferences for cookies on your browser you can probably choose between Allow all, Allow only from visited sites and Block all. Your choice but some are useful - they record if you visited a site before and will make it more friendly for you. Some record preferences. Of course there are tracking cookies and there are also websites that will use cookies from other sites to present you with adverts of their idea of your interests.
If you're really bothered about it you can find free software to eliminate tracking cookies and data miners.

[AB Editor]

"Thanks Ed. Your first response was as subtle as a bucket of manure in hot summer."

Yes, maybe a little :)

"I suspect you only put cookies on your web site because someone pays you to do it for them. That sounds more plausible to me than all the cobblers about hob nobs."

Did you read my answers? Replace hob-nobs with ginger biscuits if you prefer.

"Ok but there is money involved for someone. Do advertisers pay to put their ads on here?"

Yes, that is what advertising is... The advertiser pays for a space on the website (more or less). Unless you want to pay instead? :)

The cookies are more for the first instance of tracking whether you're on the site, how long and where you've come from etc. We can then say to advertisers that we have 1.5m visitors a month, for example. A bit like saying to TV advertisers "We have 8 million people watching at 8pm".

The second instance might be re-marketing, where an company/advertiser gives you a cookie when you go to their site. When you come to our site you might see ads from that company. I always think that's better than getting ads seemingly at random.

"I can honestly say that in all the years I've used the internet, I've never responded to any of those ads on any web site and I've never responded to any emails that may have been sent from them."

Quite possibly. Ads aren't always a bad thing though. From a company you like they can be quite useful.

[jno]

Clarion, you shouldn't receive ads from websites unless you've given them your email address. And yet...

I keep getting emails from Marks and Spencer, Thomas Cook, Primark and other big organisations offering discounts etc to jno. But they aren't to jno's email address, they're to a spare one I have. How's that work, Ed?

[AB Editor]

"Ed, since your post in this thread about deleting cookies whilst on the site, i.e. if you delete them you will be logged out, I have deleted them a few times whilst on this site without being logged out."

You probably just deleted your history.

I don't know what browser you use, but if you press CTRL+SHIFT+DEL you will see there is a list of things you can delete, usually selecting Delete Cookies and Clear Cache should get you "logged out" on the next page you visit on AB.

[AB Editor]

"I keep getting emails from Marks and Spencer, Thomas Cook, Primark and other big organisations offering discounts etc to jno. But they aren't to jno's email address, they're to a spare one I have. How's that work, Ed?"

Maybe you entered your spare address into a prize draw, and they sold the data on?

When you say "to Jno" do you mean they're sent to you addressing you as your AB username? This shouldn't be the case...

[AB Editor]

"I don't know who the ads think they are tracking, but it ain't me, I am being offered a railcard for 18 to 25 yo's I mean.....even if I bought two it wouldn't cover my age lol."

Very good :)

This might mean you've seen all the relevant ads, or you've not been anywhere interesting enough to re-target you from...

If you pop over to M&S you might find something turns up when you return :)

[jno]

I think some sort of prize draw was involved, yes. But I didn't enter it as jno. And yet they all start "Jno, don't miss our special offer!" or some such phrase. It isn't a problem, they go straight to the spam folder and I delete them. But I don't know how poor jno got involved.

[AB Editor]

"And yet they all start "Jno, don't miss our special offer!" or some such phrase. It isn't a problem, they go straight to the spam folder and I delete them. But I don't know how poor jno got involved."

Oh wow... I have no idea! Could you forward one on to theeditor AT theanswerbank DOT co DOT uk for me to have a look at?

[jno]

already deleted today's supply, but I'll do it when the next crop arrives.

[AB Editor]

Thank you.