What are cookies? Do I need them?

Cookies are small round treats which grandma got us hooked on...No just kidding. In the web context cookies are messages sent to your browser by a website for the purpose of saving information relevant to your interaction with that website. Your browser takes the cookie and saves it for future reference, usually for the next time you visit that website.

In the case of accessing a web-based database or other application, cookies sometimes hold information about your current session so that the application can keep track of who you are and what options you have chosen. It also helps the application decide when to make you login and when you already have.

The bottom line is, to access this database you will need to have cookies enabled in your browser. Usually cookies are enabled by default unless someone has disabled them.

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Notice: This Government Computer System is provided as a public service by the Office of the Surgeon General, Department of Health and Human Services.
Any unauthorized use of this service may be punishable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986.
This page was last modified: 10/16/2003 04:18 PM