What are cookies?

[lovesaphira]

like how in some topics its like "this requires cookies"
lol. yeah...could never work out what they are.

[alleycat]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_cookie

[stephenf]

A cookie is a small text file, that a web page server can leave on a Internet users hard drive. When the user revisits the site, the web-sever can use the information the cookie contains.You need cookies to allow interaction between the users and the web sites,for instance ,knowing whats in your shopping basket.But cookies can also be used to monitor your surfing habits.
Cookies are not small programs and on there Owen pose no real threat to your computer ,but the information cookies contain can be soled to third a party.