Got Cookies?
Recently I noticed something weird happening when I typed in URLs in Firefox. When I wanted to go to CNN.com, for example, the auto-fill feature that completed the string when I type CN wasn’t completing CNN.com, it was completing CNN.com.net, redirecting me not to where I wanted to go, but to a “search tool” which is a thinly disguised attempt to make money online by getting you to click on one of the affiliate ads to get away from the page.
My first thought was that I had a virus. But when I got rid of all the cookies in my browser, not only did the auto-fill activity return to normal, but my pages started loading with lightning speed. It had been a long time since I’d cleared out the cookies–quite frankly, I’d forgotten to do it. Now that I have done it, I notice a definite change in performance.
Want to know how to flush out all those cookies?
In Firefox, go to the TOOLS tab;
Select OPTIONS;
Select PRIVACY;
You should have an option to SHOW COOKIES;
and click REMOVE ALL COOKIES
If you disable cookies completely, you won’t be able to use Google properly. What I did was to tell Firefox to ask my permission every time–a huge pain in the arse–but I approved Google and other vital cookies for the duration. You can also disable third-party cookies or set all cookies to expire when the browser closes. It’s really down to personal preference.
