Suppressing cookie files does not suppress cookies

• To: dmk@allegra.att.com (Dave Kristol), www-security@ns2.rutgers.edu
• Subject: Suppressing cookie files does not suppress cookies
• From: Prentiss Riddle <riddle@is.rice.edu>
• Date: Fri, 19 Jul 1996 21:20:32 -0500 (CDT)
• In-Reply-To: <9607192229.AA15580@aleatory> from "Dave Kristol" at Jul 19, 96 06:29:02 pm

> Date: Fri, 19 Jul 96 18:29:02 EDT
> From: dmk@allegra.att.com (Dave Kristol)
> To: tdf@ble.org
> Subject: Cookies: summary
> 
> (One cute Unix hack someone here
> mentioned is to create a symbolic link from the cookie file to
> /dev/null.  Poof!  No more cookies.)

That hack, as well as similar hacks based on unwritable files or
programs which delete the cookie file between browser sessions, are of
limited usefulness.  They will prevent the retention of cookies from
one browser session to the next, but during a browser session most
browsers will just store cookies in memory.

So, again, we're left with a need to improve browsers' ability to
control cookies according to their privacy preferences.  Add-on hacks
won't do it.

-- Prentiss Riddle ("aprendiz de todo, maestro de nada") riddle@rice.edu
-- RiceInfo Administrator, Rice University / http://is.rice.edu/~riddle

• Cookies: summary
• From: dmk@allegra.att.com (Dave Kristol)

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