| How
Web Servers' Cookies Work
Many organizations
use "cookies'' to track your activities on their site. A
cookie is a unique identifier that a web server places on your
computer: a serial number for you personally that can be used
to retrieve your records from our databases. It's usually a string
of random-looking letters long enough to be unique. They are kept
in a file called cookies or cookies.txt in your
browser directory/folder. Some are known as "persistent cookies''
because they may last for a period of time beyond one browsing
session. Others are 'session' only cookies that last only for
each individual ' browsing ' session and then are dropped. The
two most popular browsers support cookies, almost all others don't.
There are of many
convenient and legitimate uses for cookies.
BuildersPlanet.com
uses both of these type. They are used so that we can deliver
personalized information and content to the site. In 'My Desktop'
you can provide certain information and option selections such
as Regions and through advanced data filtering we can use
these option settings to send you only information that you have
selected to receive. This is a good thing. To have access to your
'Desktop' and to use many of the services on our site we need
to know that the user is a registered user. Through persistent
and session cookies we are able to do this seamlessly. As a minimum
our advanced services require you to have session cookies enabled.
How to disable
cookies
You can tell
your browser that you don't want cookies. At this time much of our
site and advanced feature will not work properly if you do not allow
cookies.
We suggest if you are concerned about cookies and your privacy that
you select the option to warn when cookies are set and or to select
the option to allow cookies form known sites such as BuildersPlanet.com.
If you're using a
major browser numbered below 4.0 it probably only gives you the
option to refuse each cookie at the time it is pushed at you:
you have to keep saying no every time.
- On Netscape 3.0,
try the Options menu: go to Network Preferences, then
Protocols. Under Show an alert before check Accepting
a cookie. (Don't forget to Save your option settings.)
- On Microsoft Internet
Explorer 3.0, try View, then Options, then Advanced,
check the box Warn before accepting cookies.
- On Netscape Communicator
4.02, go to Edit, then Preferences, then Advanced,
click on Warn me before accepting a cookie.
- For MS-IE 4.0:
View, Internet Options, Security, scroll down
to Security, Cookies, Disable all cookie use;
alternatively: Right click IE shortcut, select Properties,
select Advanced, scroll down to Cookies, select options.
- For MS-IE 5.0:
Tools, Internet Options, Security, select Custom
Level , Scroll to Cookies,check Enable or Prompt
for Allow cookies and Allow session cookies; alternatively:
Right click IE shortcut, select Properties, and perform
these same selections.
- Cookies are also
supported in Opera and the latest version of Lynx.
Your browser may
be different: it may not support cookies, or it may not allow
you to stop them. Even if it does, you may have to click on
cancel each time a web site wants to set a cookie on you.
If you have
any questions pleas contact us at support@buildersplanet.com.
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