[3750] in WWW Security List Archive
Re: cookies
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Steff Watkins)
Mon Dec 9 06:50:15 1996
Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 09:52:19 +0000 (GMT)
From: Steff Watkins <Steff.Watkins@Bristol.ac.uk>
To: www-security@ns2.rutgers.edu
In-Reply-To: <32ABAA57.6C97@ix.netcom.com>
Errors-To: owner-www-security@ns2.rutgers.edu
On Sun, 8 Dec 1996, Diane Ellison wrote:
> QUESTION: Is cookie.txt the only place where cookies have been written
> on my disk? I'm using Netscape. Can I prevent all cookies, or
> am I limited to the display of the warning?
>
> I see cookies as an invasion of my private disk space. Can
> I hear some other opinions please.
Hello Diane,
I believe that, in general, cookie.txt is the default place used by the
Netscape browser to store its cookie. I have also heard that this can be
changed by user configuration.
The easiest way I have found of NOT receiving cookie information is to
mark your cookie file as read-only by owner. Then, when the browser tries
to save information to that file, the OS will complain and prevent it
from doing so.
When used for things such as last access times, cookies are wonderful.
Using cookies to determine the last time a browser viewed a directory is
great because you can then have the server return a list with 'New' and
'Updated' files specially marked, and so more noticeable by the end user.
I have, however, had the misfortune of reading emails from 'smart'
companies who seem to think that they can determine which operating
system you would be 'most interested in' by using cookies. When I tried
to explain that I am someone who regularly uses Solaris, HP-UX, MsDos,
Windows, SunOS and Linux in the course of my job, and so their 'guess' at
the 'OS Im most interested in' was invalid/defunct/fugazi, they just
shrugged and carried on.
Maybe if people started charging these dorks for the 'storage of THEIR
data', they might think twice about doing this.
Just two pennies worth,
Steff
: Steff Watkins, General Computer-type being
: University of Bristol, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1TH, UK
:
: RFC-822 : Steff.Watkins@bris.ac.uk
: X-400 : /G=Steff/S=Watkins/O=Bristol/PRMD=UK.AC/ADMD= /C=GB/
: Phone: +44 177 9287869 (external) 3046 / 7869 (internal)
