Mozilla Firefox Spyware????

[Guest]

I installed Spybot today, ran a scan, and I had three "red" critical alerts.
Upon investigation (and I should have written this down, sorry), they were
some kind of tracking cookie(s) and were listed under Firefox.
Questions:
1) Is this normal, does Firefox use tracking cookies, tracking cookies that
would
trigger a "red" alert from Spybot?
2) For that matter, does Google, Yahoo, MSN and others use tracking cookies?

 

[PA20Pilot]

Hi again,

..........1) Is this normal, does Firefox use tracking cookies, tracking
cookies that would trigger a "red" alert from Spybot?

I really doubt Firefox is keeping evil cookies with the intent of doing
harm to you or yours.

.........2) For that matter, does Google, Yahoo, MSN and others use
tracking cookies?

You'll find most sites have cookies for some reason or other. I use one
of them, it came with a statistics/counter I have on one of my sites. It
tells me, or rather the program I'm using, if you're a new visitor or a
repeat. Some cookies keep your login history and welcome you back to a
site using your own name.

There's a place in your settings somewhere, depending on your Windows
version and browser, what cookies you'll allow. Most people feel safe
allowing cookies that are only sent to the originating site. I can't
remember the last time a cookie was held responsible for great harm to
anyone.


---==X={}=X==---

Jim Self

AVIATION ANIMATION, the internet's largest depository.
http://avanimation.avsupport.com

Your only internet source for spiral staircase plans.
http://jself.com/stair/Stair.htm

Experimental Aircraft Association #140897
EAA Technical Counselor #4562

 

[Tom Willett]

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/c/cookie.html

 

[Enkidu]

I installed Spybot today, ran a scan, and I had three "red" critical alerts.
Upon investigation (and I should have written this down, sorry), they were
some kind of tracking cookie(s) and were listed under Firefox.
Questions:

1) Is this normal, does Firefox use tracking cookies, tracking cookies that
would trigger a "red" alert from Spybot?

Cookies (of all sorts) are set by the Website, not by the browser. The
browser just holds them, in case you should visit the site again. I
don't really see why Spybot should consider a tracking cookie a 'red
alert'. Firefox is the same in this respect as any other browser.

If a site give you a cookie, the site already has the information that
is going to be stored in the cookie, so you don't give away information
by accepting a cookie. The cookie sender might build up a dossier of
your browsing habits, but so what? Are you going to change them because
someone might know what sites you visit?

Some sites use cookie for 'session information', say for a shopping cart
transaction or something. In those cases cookie are beneficial.

Cheers,

Cliff