Cookies

[Ira]

I really feel that by not handling cookies, MS is leaving a gaping hole that
I am sure will be utilized by many spywaren implementers. Cookies are
currently used for this purpose and not to handle them makes MS Antispyware
a very poor product. Anti spyware must be as complete as possible to be
useful. Come on MS get on the ball.

 

[Alan]

Yeah right!!

Cookies can't NOT be used to infect your system. They
are data files that can only be accessed by your web
browser when the domain that stored the cookie on your
system is visited again.

Don't listen to these idiots that know absolutely nothing
about computers try to tell you that cookies are bad.
What's bad is listening to these idiots and using
their "advice." This advice can end up harming your
system, not to mention that it likely will not protect
one from any type of spyware. The cookies that one must
keep from getting onto their system are the type that
store personally identifiable information. These so-
called "experts" tell people that they should block all
cookies. Doing so will make many sites inaccessable or
unusable. It's like trying to keep your kids safe from
bad influence and someone telling parents that they
should not allow kids to watch TV nor use the Internet.
Doing so will cause your kids to lag so far behind others
in their class that they will get discouraged and
possibly even depressed. This can cause these kids to
just give up on their dreams, and might even cause them
to commit suicide! That said, the advice these idiots
are dishing out is basically to take extreme measures
that just don't have to be taken.

Your web browser has setting that allow you to control
the handling of cookies. In IE use Tools > Internet
Options... > Privacy. If you have a good firewall, it
also has cookie handling. In Zone Alarm use Privacy >
Cookie Control or Privacy > Site List and select the
sites whose settings you want to change.

A great place to learn the truth about cookies is from
the Electronic Frontier Foundation (eff.org). These
people are the real experts. I know when you read what
they have to say that you will see things VERY
differently than you currently do.

Alan

 

[Fuzzy John]

You can always (and actually most people would recommend it) run another
antispyware application that also detects cookies.