I have an old AspireOne netbook. I got it in high school to take notes and it often moves rather slow these days. Every now and then my dad cleans it out for me and always, and I mean ALWAYS, comments on the amount of useless storage and "cookies" he had to clean out using programs like C Cleaner. I always assumed cookies were associated with internet page use but I didn't know the actual definition until this year.
I looked at the cookies currently on my internet browser I use: google chrome. What surprised me most was that the websites that left cookies on my computer were ones I don't remember accessing! A couple I recognized but the majority I don't. So in my shock I changed my settings to block cookies. I swear, almost every website wanted to set cookies. It was so annoying it makes me want to just keep it on automatic.
But the annoyance doesn't change my initial shock. I know websites use cookies to track my digital path online, and from a technological standpoint it's clever and useful. However, as an internet user it's creepy. Even when I delete my cookies or internet history, there is still a digital trail. Good for them, bad for me. Is it ethical? Honestly, I think by using the worldweb, social networking sites, etc, you are putting your life out there. If you want something to stay private, look it up at a public computer or library book. Companies are getting clever and productive by taking advantage of the situation, especially when many users don't even know what is happening.
For my own situation, the cookies will have a short life-span on my computer since I delete them and my history to free up space on my computer. (What's annoying is that blogger just put 10 cookies on my computer)
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