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→Cookie controversy: copyedit
==Cookie controversy==
==Cookie controversy==
===Advantages===
===Advantages===
Cookies enable websites to offer a richer experience to users, since certain things can be customized for the user. Also, they enable users to log in to their account (if the have one) only once per visit, or even enable the user to return to the site at a later time without logging in again. From a webmaster's view, they not only enable all of this, but can be used to make track down website problems, and also reduce cheating and fraud.
Cookies enable websites to offer a richer experience to users, since certain things can be customized for the user. Also, they enable users to log in to their account (if the have one) only once per visit, or even enable the user to return to the site at a later time without logging in again. From a webmaster's view, they not only enable all of this, but can be used to track down website problems, and also reduce cheating and fraud.
===Disadvantages===
===Disadvantages===
Since these cookies store user information and uniquely identify the users, the user's privacy is largely lost. All of the preferences and interests of a user can be recorded and exploited through targeted marketing. This becomes especially an issue when a website has script on many other websites. For example, [[Facebook]] and other social media share buttons are offered on many different websites. This enables these companies to track which sites a particular person likes to visit, even if they never use the buttons. This is also true for advertisements. [[Google]]'s Ad Sense and Google Analytics collects a large amount of information on users. This enables them to determine interests and "follow" the user from website to website with advertisements for that product type.<br />
Since these cookies store user information and uniquely identify the users, the user's privacy is largely lost. All of the preferences and interests of a user can be recorded and exploited through targeted marketing. This becomes especially an issue when a website has script on many other websites. For example, [[Facebook]] and other social media share buttons are offered on many different websites. This enables these companies to track which sites a particular person likes to visit, even if they never use the buttons. This is also true for advertisements. [[Google]]'s Ad Sense and Google Analytics collects a large amount of information on users. This enables them to determine interests and "follow" the user from website to website with advertisements for that product type.<br />
Even worse, cookies are sometime used by identity thieves to gather extensive information about the computer user.
Even worse, cookies are sometime used by identity thieves to gather extensive information about the computer user.
==Super cookies==
==Super cookies==