To make your web browsing experience more convenient, certain sites place information in text files that they can reference the next time you visit them.
The name given to these text files, cookies, has taken on a negative connotation. That connotation isn’t really warranted. Cookies, in my opinion, are a harmless compromise on absolute privacy in exchange for convenience when using an online service.
If you don’t want to make even this small compromise, use your web browser’s settings to determine whether the browser will accept cookies.
Here’s a handy video that explains what you need to know about the much-maligned cookie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qygfj88-hz8