Why does this board require cookies?

[Block Denizen]

Cookies are a dangerous thing to leave behind on your machine.


I would prefer a site that does not use them. Does anyone else have simialr thoughts?

I know there are cookie cutter utilities but as we DCers know they are not foolproof.

[Ozzy]

i believe on the home page and in your profile, you can choose to not accept cookies or delete them.

btw...all the major escort sites and boards give you cookies with out any option to refuse them.

[Woolf]

Just click on the "clear cookies" link, it's in red on the bottom right.

If you are really worried and want a safe clean board with no ads, no cookies, no URL (ip address) and corporate friendly follow the link below.

http://www.utopiaguide.com/corporate.html

[Block Denizen]

I beg to differ. This board won't let me in without accepting cookies.


Other boards ask but I can decline them. *** is a good example. Also I don't have to PAY for that privilege there.

Besides the question was why?


So can anyone answer---why?



[Edited by Block Denizen on 01-21-2001 at 12:33 PM]

[Allen]

Why?

The main reason is quite simple. Most people don't want to remember their user/pass every time they log in. For those that don't wan't cookies on your pc, you can clear them as mentioned.

[Block Denizen]

But I would prefer a site I can access without them. Many a guy has been defeated by a simple errant ccokie.

Good luck. I wish you well



[Edited by Block Denizen on 01-21-2001 at 02:40 PM]

[Ozzy]

BD,
*** absolutely gives you a cookie...or you can't post. especially with the new login with password.

[Block Denizen]

I think you need to re read my post Ozzy. I never said *** did not use cookies. Only that they are not NECESSARY there.


With *** you can ask to be prompted for cookies and simply reject them. That is what I do. It is not necessary to accept them---as it is here.

This means i must reenter posting info each time but I don't have to worry about a cookie being found--or what the cookie might do.

Here if i refuse cookies I am bounced. This is true no matter how I try it. I understand that there is a pay alternative here but I was stating a preference.


Again I see the rest of you don't care so I hope you are happy with the site. It is otherwise great.







[Edited by Block Denizen on 01-21-2001 at 04:28 PM]

[Woolf]

They help me keep track of new posts. This saves me wasting time going through each message to see if anyone has posted something new. Plus I can always clear them at the end of a session, not many sites give you this option unfortunately.

If your that worried, go to the clean pay option.

[Block Denizen]

Enjoy the site!

It is great!

[Tankcommander]

I do this as a matter of habit.
If you're working on a windows 98 OS,
go to the Start menu, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup.
Once you've chosen Disk cleanup, it will ask you which disk. Select your main hard drive and then view files. once that window opens up, go to the button for edit, and select all. Then choose delete. It will ask you if you want to delete selected cookies. You know the answer to that one.

Note. If you just choose to run disk cleanup without viewing files and selecting all, it will leaver the cookies. BE sure to also clear your history as that will give you away as well.

[Block Denizen]

I know how to delete them. It is just that more than one guy has gotten into trouble because of the one time he forgot.


But I see I am the only one here who cares.

[Woolf]

I think Utopiaguide cares that's why you get the option to have a very clean and much safer version of this message board. I wish one or two of the other boards offered this option.

[Block Denizen]

When I have tried the cookie free version I get error messages. if that had worked I would never have posted.


It is far easier to use a site like *** that tries to place a cookie but that allows you to refuse them.

The rest of you obvioulsy not only do not mind cookies you welcome them. Well if that is what you want fine. I would rather not leave a trail on my hard drive. Personal preference.

[Phantom]

Block Denizen,

You claim that *** allows you to refuse to accept his cookies. I tried to register for his board. I have my browser set to ask my permission when a site requests to set a cookie. You can not register on *** without accepting his cookies. I know because I was not permitted to register because I refused all cookies that *** wanted to set.

Since you are registered on ***, you must have accepted some of *** cookies.

[admin]

You haven't signed up for this, I checked the stats.

Go to this page for the sign up details:

http://www.utopiaguide.com/corporate.html

The regular board allows you to clear all cookies before you leave. I think your confusing this option with the subscription based board which is 100% clean.

[Rufus Moses]

just for the record I'd like to say that not all cookies are evil, many (such as UG's) are quite helpful, and on UG there is a "Clear Cookies" button on the discussion group main page in bright red letters...

Those who are worried about a UG cookie can simply remove it.
Everyone else shouldn't be bothered though...IMHO...

[Block Denizen]

One more time.

The clear cookie command does not work---at least for me. The cookie remains.

The same thing is true of the various ways toa ccess without cookies---they don't seem to work.


As for *** I have registered and posted without accepting a cookie. So have others. Unless his NYC board works differently from his DC and others you are mistaken. I suppose it is possible that NY is different.

As for the eveil of cookies. It is not a question of intent. Many have good intent. however they leave behind a record of where you have been. And that is not necessarily a good thing.

[Allen]

Block Denizen,

The clear cookies will work with any standard Windows setup. If you have changed the rights on certain directories, it may not. If you need help to figure out why it doesn't work on your pc, please feel free to email me.

"The same thing is true of the various ways toa ccess without cookies---they don't seem to work"

The only way to access the board without cookies is through the secure option. This option works fine, there are a few people that use it. I know you haven't tried it as I have to confirm every user that gets access to it. Again, if you need a hand with it, lmk.

If you really don't want cookies that badly, there are tons of cookie cleaner programs around as I'm sure you know.

Bottom line is cookies make life easier for 99.9% of people that use the site, so they're here to stay.

[Slinky Bender]

*** definitely leaves a cookie. The simple proof of this is that the board "keeps track of" which posts you have looked at ( i.e. you can tell what you have read and what you have not based on highlighting ). If there was no cookie, how would this be possible ?

I know when I first went looking for the cookie, it was very hard to find ( it didn't say *** or anything like that ). It was also hard to delete.

But it was there.

[fletch]

*** personally delivered cookies to my house after I visited his site. Oatmeal raisin.

[Rufus Moses]

When posts are simply URL's the board doesn't remember what you've read...its just the previous URL cacheing mechanism doing its thing on your machine...fairly sure this is what is going on on ***.

[Block Denizen]

Guys. *** tries to set a cookie but you don't have to accept it.


That is what I said each time.

I refuse the cookies. However it just allowed me to post. So the cookie is NOT necessary.

As for where it is you need to look under *********.net, http://www.*********.net and the numerical URL. It could be under any of these. It is actually quite easy to find.


This site is great too. I just suggested what I thought would be an improvement.

It is clear that the majority here disagree and I respect that. But don't tell me all sites require cookies. It just isn't true.

But enjoy the site. There should be many voices.

[fumpton]

Use Guard Dog to clear/refuse cookies. Its made by McAfee. It also has a web-trail clearer that erases all the sites you visit automatically after you log off the internet.

[Block Denizen]

Like I said originally I know how to get rid of them. But others might not.

One bit of advice is to look under the NAME of the web site. The *** baords are not located at ***.com. You would need to look under http://www.bigdogie.net or just *********.net. Also look under the numeric URL.

They are not really hard to find you just need to know where to llok.

Guard Dog is a fine product.

Ciao

[fishfry]

Isn't it odd that a site that puts a cookie on your computer advertises for the "Evidence Eliminator" on every page?

[Slinky Bender]

Why do I find it interesting that someone who has been lurking on the board for over a month and added nothing needs to make a compliant about the advertising ? Who do you think pays for the site ? You ?

I also find it interesting that no one asked how to get to ***, but someone needed not only to reference that site 8 times, but provide an un-asked-for link. Not that I think anyone here doesn't already know how to get there. It just seems odd that someone feels the need to continually "bring this thread to the top" while adding absolutely nothing to any "on topic" discussions.

I guess we'll have to stop going into guy's houses, beating them over the head, dragging them out into the street, holding a gun to their heads, and forcing them to view UG.

Since it seems as though the question has been asked and answered ( several times over ), there doesn't seem to be any further purpose to this thread.