What is a cookie file (COOKIES.TXT)?

Cookie files gather information about where you go and who you visit on the World Wide Web. Originally, cookie files allowed Webservers the ability to customize a website on person by person basis, without filling up the server's hard drive space. A cookie file is text file that Webservers ask for and then add their own information to and store on your hard drive. If you have never been asked whether you want to accept a cookie, I am sad to report that your browser is set to automatically give and receive cookie files. Cookie files let the Webserver know the date and time you visited their site and any other information that they think they need. In general, they are use to both store and retrieve information on you, the visitor.

How do Cookies Files work?

When you visit a website, the Webserver request your browsers to give up your cookie file. The server takes your file, adds the information that it see fit to place in your cookie file, and gives it back to you. If you refuse to accept the cookie file the Webserver will ask you to reconsider anywhere between 5 and 20 times. This becomes extremely annoying, since you must hit the "Cancel" button every time the question is asked and it wastes your time on the net answering stupid questions. After this point, if you still refuse to accept the cookie file, the Webserver might not allow you into their site (for example Microsoft.com or MSN.com). In short, cookie files are harmful to your privacy. You should understand that accepting a cookie gives the Webserver access to your computer and any personal information about you. Cookie files many have started off being something worth while but now they are tools used against you for the benefit of servers you visit.

What can be found in your cookies file?

This all depends on what the Webserver places inside your cookie file. The cookie file can contain your e-mail address, user name, and your password to certain sites that charge for viewing. It can contain your full name, address, and phone number, if you have gone to a site that requested this type of information. If you visit a news agency, your cookie file can contain what type of news articles you like to read and what type of news articles you refuse to read. Your cookie file may also contain what type of software and hardware you use in your computer. A cookie file also allow your email address to be placed on mass email list, so you can get junk mail or invitations to join porno sites. The possibilities are endless. If you want to read your cookie file, search your hard drive for a file named cookies.txt.

Why you should turn off your Cookies File?

Because a cookie file is an invasion into your privacy. In an interview with Playboy magazine (February 1996), Andrew Bacard, author of "The Computer Privacy Handbook", stated, "Privacy is the ability to control what, when, and how your personal data is given to other people. Powerful institutions believe their right to privacy has a bonafide basis (for instance, "national security" or "trade secrets"), while the individual's claim to privacy is suspicious and subject to these institutions' veto. For me, privacy is a necessary part of democracy. That's why we vote with secret ballots." To Playboy question, "Yet many people reading this may be thinking, So what? I have nothing to hide," he replied, "Show me someone who has no financial, sexual, social, political, or professional secrets to keep from his family, neighbors or colleagues, and I'll show you someone who is either an exhibitionist or a dullard. Show me a corporation that has no trade secrets or confidential records, and I'll show you a business that isn't very successful. Discretion and tact are pillars of civilization."

Suggestions on how to turn off your Cookies File?

To turn off your cookies file in Netscape Communicator: click edit, preferences, advanced, click the circle next to line that states "Disable Cookies" and click the box labeled "Warn me before accepting cookies". Then click "Ok".

If you have something other then Netscape Communicator find your cookies.txt file on your hard drive. Use a text editor and replace the entire contents of the file with one character, for example "?". Save the file as cookies.txt and then, this is very important, give the status to the file "read only". This way when you go to a site that ask for you cookie file, it will only receive a cookie file containing "?". When the sever tries to write something to your cookie file, the read only status of the file will not allow anything to be place in the file, the on-error checking in the browser should discard the additions to the cookie file, and everything should go on as normal.

UNIX/Linux users - You can permanently prevent Netscape from writing a cookies file! Simply do the following :
'cd' to your Netscape directory
'rm cookies'
'ln -s /dev/null cookies'

Cookie Files Location

Question: Where are cookie files actually stored on the hard disk?

Answer: The actual location of cookie files depends on the user's browser and OS. For example, Netscape Navigator 4.x under Windows stores all your cookies in a single file cookies.txt; a typical location of this file is the following:

c:\Program Files\Netscape\Users\Your_Name\cookies.txt

Internet Explorer 4.x stores each cookie in a separate file. The name of a cookie file is something like this: anyuser@WebSiteName.txt. A typical location of cookie files in Internet Explorer 4.x is the following:

c:\Windows\Cookies\anyuser@WebSiteName.txt