The internet has many examples of things that were useful or fun but eventually became social problems or invaded everyone’s privacy. 

One prime example is the internet cookie, which mutated from a handy tool to a nuisance associated with scams, privacy issues, government legislation, and controversy. 

In the 1990s, web designers were looking for a way that a website could remember each visitor from visit to visit and save details such as how often the person visited, what was viewed, and their preferences.

This would hopefully personalize the website experience and free someone from having to enter the same routine details every time they visited.

Lou Montulli, a computer engineer, created the web cookie which could remember all those details for each visitor.

Simply put, a cookie is a text file downloaded from a website you visit and stored by your web browser, such as Google Chrome, Windows Edge, or Firefox. The text file contains information about your visit, interests, and personal preferences, but nothing to identify you personally, and the cookie can........

© Peterborough Examiner