Midterm: The 5-Step Critical Process (Analysis 1)

John Perry, 2/22/20

1500, M&W 11:30-12:50
Module 2 Prompt

I have always found the idea of cookies and their use very interesting. That is why I
chose to look at doing the Module 2 Prompt about cookies and to look further into the cookies I
have on my computer that I have gathered from my own personal browsing history. The
following is the 5 Step Critical Process assessing this topic.

1. Description: One thing that I notice immediately was how difficult it was to even find where
the cookies were. It was surprising as to how many steps there were to see them. I usually
use two browsers on my computer, Edge and Chrome. I usually only use my Edge for school
things as it works well with the Surface I have. However, I use chrome more frequently for
everything else. When I was finally able to find the cookies on Chrome, I was surprised by
how many there were. There was more than I could count. I would guess there was at least
300 different sites all with cookies. Some sites even had up to 16 cookies and would go back
a few years. Looking into it a little more I found out just how extensive and prolonged these
cookies could be. “On average, a website stores about 20 cookies on your computer. All
cookies have an expiration date. However, this date may be set far off into the future. For
example, Google AdWords permits for a cookie lifetime of 540 days.” [ CITATION Coo20 \l
1033 ]
I erased all of the cookies that were on there and went to a few sites. I was even more
surprised that by visiting 5 sights in a matter of a few minutes I had already accrued 74
cookies. This seems almost excessive.

2. Analysis: The five sites that I went to for this experiment was Canvas, Google, YouTube,
Facebook, and Pinterest. Of all of these sites Canvas had the most by far with 24 cookies
known to be associated with it. However, they were all set to expire when I closed the
browsing session. There were quite a few of these cookies that didn’t have an obvious
association with any of the sites I visited. Most of these had names like Lijit.com and
yieldmo.com. From looking at these, the ones with the unique names often didn’t expire for
at least a year. I am assuming that these are the advertising cookies.

3. Interpretation: Often times people look at computer cookies as a negative thing. There is a
benefit to them though. “In some ways, cookies make browsing the Internet faster and
easier. Since cookies allow a website to know who you are, they can tailor your browsing
experience based on previous visits. For example, certain websites customize site
 information based on your location (city). Also, after you have registered on a site like
Amazon, for example, you do not have to enter the same information every time you visit
the site.” [ CITATION KIM \l 1033 ] This makes for a fast and more user-friendly internet
experience.
However, cookies do come with quite a few negatives too. When it comes to cookies,
privacy is always the main concern. “Cookie enabled web browsers keep track of all the
websites you have visited. This means that with permission (or not in Google’s case), third
parties can access the information stored by these cookies. These third parties can be
advertisers, other users, or even the government in some cases.” [ CITATION Int12 \l 1033 ]
The cookies placed on your computer isn’t just from the sites you visit either, they are also
done added from the third-party ads on those sites you visit. This can be advantageous for
the sites you visit and a disadvantage to you. For example, if you are browsing sites looking
for a plane ticket, those sites are able to see that you are frantically looking and will
increase their prices as you get more and more desperate.

4. Evaluation: I have known about cookies for a while and I knew that they stored information
about the site you visit and the information you input. I was not aware though of how often
they are used and how much they actually store about your browsing history. I was
surprised as to how long they stay on your computer as well. From learning more about
cookies I have gotten more concerned about the information that I have stored on my
computer.
Now with learning more about them I learning it is less of the cookies themselves that is the
worry, and it is more of the sites and what they do with them that is concerning. This, in my
opinion, makes them both good and bad. They are good, but have the tendency to be
misused for something negative or deceptive. They are good in the fact that they have
benefits, and they are bad in the fact that they are easily used for somewhat shady things.
This added to the fact that it happens behind the scenes makes it even worse.

5. Engagement: With a lot of site now they require the use of cookies. This means, that in
order to really use the internet in the way that it was meant to work you will need to have
the use of cookies enabled. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing because cookies aren’t all that
bad. The parts in which I am really concerned about are when it comes to really sensitive
data. From doing a little research and thinking there are three things that I can do to help
protect that sensitive information.
First, deactivate third party cookies. Most browsers will give you the option to do this but it
is usually not easy to find. This is because more cookies mean more data, and more data
means more profit for these browsers and sites. So, by disabling third party cookies lessens
the amount of your data being traded and used.
Second, use Incognito/ In Private browsing when dealing with sensitive information while
browsing. These modes often will delete cookies when the browser is closed. This will make
sure that if any sensitive information is stored it will be deleted promptly.
 Third, delete cookies frequently. Often times you won’t even notice a difference by deleting
them. This will prevent your information being out and available for other sites. Sometimes
these cookies with your information can be on there for years. This will help protect your
data from being misused.

In conclusion there are a lot of good that can be done with cookies but there can be a
lot of bad done with them. It is important to know when these cookies pose a risk and when
they are being helpful. Geraldine Strawbridge said it well in an article describing why knowledge
of these cookies are important. “There’s no doubt the cookies have transformed how we surf
the web, and for the most part, they make the browsing experience a more efficient and
personalized experience. Nonetheless, it’s important to understand the risks and assess
whether you should be deleting your cookies on a more regular basis.” [ CITATION Ger19 \l 1033 ]
Works Cited
Cookiebot. (2020, January 24). Cookie checker | Is your website GDPR and CCPA compliant? Retrieved
from Cookiebot.com: https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookie-checker/

Internet Marketing Inc. (2012, February 23). The Pros and Cons of Browser Cookies: A Google Story.
Retrieved from Internetmarketinginc.com: https://www.internetmarketinginc.com/blog/the-
pros-and-cons-of-cookies-a-google-story/

LINTON, K. (n.d.). Disadvantages of Cookies on a Computer. Retrieved from Itstillworks.com:

https://itstillworks.com/adware-tracking-cookies-5185198.html

Strawbridge, G. (2019, March 25). Why it’s a good idea to clear Cookies on your Browser. Retrieved from
Metacompliance.com: https://www.metacompliance.com/blog/why-its-a-good-idea-to-clear-
cookies-on-your-browser/
Image taken from
https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgrammerHumor/comments/5xazyd/foolxpost_from_rcomics/