—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Section 5: The Internet and its Uses

Lesson 3 : Web Browsers and Cookies

A browser is a program that allows the user to visit, retrieve and display information that a webpage contains. They translate code (Eg.HTML )  to create and display websites .

They can 

• Have a home page

• Store favourite websites/bookmarks (Can organised in folders and add to toolbar)

• History of Browsing ( Easily navigate back to a site even if you forget URL)

• Allow multiple tabs ( Have different sites and pages open and easily switch between tabs)

• Stores Cookies

• Provide Navigation tools

• Provide an address bar

Cookies are small text files with ID tags stored on a user's computer. They are sent by a web server to a browser on a computer when you visit a website. Each cookie is a small look up table containing pairs of values.

Eg.

Surname = Jones

Music = ROck

Every time it visit a website it checks if it has set cookies if so the browser reads cookies which holds key information

Web browsers supporting cookies can : 

• Resume where you left off when you revisit the site

• Storing login details

• Saving personal details

• Remembering preferences

• Hold items in a online shopping cart

By law any website operator using cookies must : 

• Tell users the cookies are there

• Explain what the cookies are doing

• Obtain users consent to store cookies on their device

Cookies can be divided into two main categories: 

Session Cookies - are created and replaced every time a user visits a website. These are stored in temporary memory and then deleted.

Persistent Cookies - Are created and saved in the first visit to a website which are then retained until they expire. These are stored on the user's hard drive and remain stored even after a website session is closed.

All modern browsers will allow you to view the contents of all cookies currently stored on you device and clear them if you wish.