A cookie is a file on your computer that we store information into. If you're a Windows user, it's just like an INI file or the Registry. We'll be using it in the future to help implement on-line purchases among other things.
Cookies are a fact of life on the internet.
Hundreds of thousands of sites are using them for constructive purposes. A very small handful of people are abusing this for their own purposes and those are the people the press seem to make so much noise about. This site was originally designed after we finished version 1 of Birder's Diary, Birds of North America, et.al. While great for its time it's in dire need of revamping. Pete's been adding information here and there and, over time, its become less organized than we'd like.