What is a cookie?

A cookie is a simple text file that is stored on your computer or mobile device by a website’s server and only that server will be able to retrieve or read the contents of that cookie. Each cookie is unique to your web browser and each cookie can only be read or edited by the website that created it.

 

Almost all websites you visit will use cookies. Some of these will improve your user experience by enabling that website to ‘remember’ you. Other cookies help the website owner analyse how people use their site, whilst yet another type are used by advertisers to help target their messages. At Walton and Hipkiss we don’t use external adverts, so the cookies we use are only for our own use. Cookies do lots of different jobs, like letting you navigate between pages efficiently, storing your preferences, and generally improving your experience of a website. Cookies make the interaction between you and the website faster and easier. Walton and Hipkiss and Dezrez uses cookies within the software: for example, when you enter your login details and move to another page it remembers you and it keeps you logged in. Some websites will also use cookies to enable them to target their advertising or marketing messages based for example, on your location and/or browsing habits. We do not do this. However, we do use a 3rd party cookie to help analyse how visitors use our site.

 

Can I stop a website from using cookies?

The short answer is yes, but you may well stop that website from working properly. To make an informed choice read the guides listed below and look at that websites description of how it uses cookies. Most browsers give you the facility to stop websites from storing cookies.

 

Want to find out more?

The BBC.co.uk has several good explanations of Cookies - www.bbc.co.uk/privacy/cookies
As does Virgin.com - www.virgin.com/help
AboutCookies.org has information about controlling Cookies - www.aboutcookies.org

 

A bit more information...

 

What is in a cookie?

It will contain some anonymous information such as a unique identifier and the site name and some digits and numbers. It allows a website to remember things like your preferences or what’s in your shopping basket.

 

What to do if you don’t want cookies to be set

Some people find the idea of a website storing information on their computer or mobile device a bit intrusive. You may not, for example, want to see advertising that has been targeted to your interests. If you prefer, it is possible to block some or all cookies, or even to delete cookies that have already been set; but you need to be aware that you might lose some functions of that website.