Look at the cookies file in your computer

If your computer uses a browser it may contain a file of cookies left by Web sites that have been accessed by your computer.

1. Learn more about cookies by looking at the Web site CookiesCentral www.cookiecentral.com and a favorable article about cookies such as "The Truth about Cookies" www.cnet.com/Content/Voices/Barr/042996/

2. Look at the cookies folder on your computer's hard drive. Find the folder by doing a search of your disk drive. Open the cookies folder to find out which Web sites have left cookies on your hard drive. Sort the cookies by date modified so that you can verify that at least some of the cookies came from sites you visited recently.

3. Double click on one of the cookie files to see what a cookie actually looks like. (Be sure not to change the cookie, however, because that would scramble the information in it and might cause problems for you.)

4. Decide whether you think it is legitimate for a Web page to leave cookies on your computer's hard drive. Explain why you do or do not believe something of this form could create a significant violation of your privacy.

Back to Internet and Hands-On Exercises

Main Page About the Book Student Resources Instructor Resources Contact Us