"Cookies" are data that web sites send to your computer while running Internet Explorer 6. This data can record things such as where you've visited in a site, how often you've visited the site, ..etc. It may also contain auto-login information so if you repeatedly visit a site that asks for your username and password, the cookie can take care of entering this information to the website automatically. Such cookies may also contain personalization information so that if you visit a news site, a cookie may tell the website that you like sports news and don't need to see market reports, for example.

While some cookies do not associate your actual name with the places you visit, if the web site happens to pick up your name, such as with a cookie that holds auto-login information, and cross-references the two pieces of information, that web site can find out a lot of things about you personally that you may not wish the web site's administrators to know. However, this may be a small price to pay for personalization features.

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