NWA-PCUG 5/99 NewsLetter Article 18861 N. Hwy 112, Springdale, AR 72762-9303 A Cookie? From Microsoft Home Page http://www.microsoft.com/Misc/Cookie.htm A cookie is a very tiny piece of text we're asking permission to place on your computer's hard drive. If you agree, then your browser adds the text in a small file. Its purpose is to let us know when you visit microsoft.com. This text, by itself, only tells us that a previous microsoft.com visitor has returned. It doesn't tell us who you are, or your email address or anything else personal. If you want to give us that information later, that's your choice. So why do we offer cookies? Cookies help us evaluate visitors' use of our site, such as what customers want to see and what they never read. That information allows us to better focus our online product, to concentrate on information people are reading and products they are using. And guess what? A cookie can help you. If you accept a cookie, nothing affects you immediately. But you know what happens whenever you want to download software, access a premium site or even request permission to use a Microsoft logo on your Web page? You get asked questions like who you are and your email address. And that happens every time you want to download stuff. If you have accepted a cookie, however, those questions eventually will be asked just once, no matter how often you download software or how many Microsoft sites you visit. In the future, a cookie will allow you to tell us what information you prefer to read and what you don't. If you're a gamer, for example, we can advise you on content specific to games. Why are we telling you all this? Because we want you to know why we ask you to accept a cookie. We want to be sure you understand that accepting a cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any personal information about you. Cookies are harmless, occupying just a few bytes on your hard drive. They also can be a Web site browser's very good friend. Copyright 1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.