Many times, Web sites will link to other places on the Internet which offer related information. By clicking on these links, you can move quickly through the Web. Links are usually underlined and colored differently from the regular text. You can move very easily and very quickly from one Web site to another without always knowing the kind of information that will be available on the next Web site. While you explore different Web sites, you and your children should be aware that your visits are not always anonymous.
Webmasters can track the interests of their visitors in several ways.
Some sites can immediately determine information about you when you visit that site, such as the type of computer system you use, the company you use to access the Internet, and the site you visited just before reaching your last stop. You can see the kinds of information your computer can automatically transmit by visiting the Center for Democracy and Technology's privacy demonstration. The cookie that is deposited allows a Web site to keep track of information about your visit, including which parts of the site you visit and how long you visit those areas. This information helps site operators determine the most popular areas of their site, and it helps them improve what they offer. Cookies also allow for more efficiency when revisiting a site, by saving and later recognizing information you may have already registered with that site.