They have become the subject of a great deal of debate in recent years because of the privacy issues they raise. It is true that cookies can be misused, but they also serve some valuable purposes. The original intent of cookies was to make visiting a web site more convenient for the user. A common use is to store preferences data that allows a web site to tailor the presentation of their site to the user. For example an online book seller can tailor the book reviews and advertisements that are presented to a visitor based on information from the cookie file.
Cookies also store name and account information, and passwords needed to navigate a site.
They store data on the pages within the site you have visited, and, in the case of online shopping, cookies store shopping cart data that can be restored when you next visit the site. An added benefit is that web servers can deliver pages faster by using the information contained in cookies. A web site that offers a well balanced approach to the subject of cookies is Echo Web . A major concern about cookies use is that they allow online marketers to gather personal information on individuals, and usually without the person's knowledge. This information is then shared with commercial sites that tailor their advertisements to individual web surfers.