[Dark Seraph]

Mozilla.

;)

[Vidalia]

Just don't answer the door if they are Girl Scouts...

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

you better call mrs fields stat

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

I use that Ad-aware software. It's pretty good. Those double-click and fast-click cookies come up all the time. I usually just run the Ad-aware every few days to weed out the junk.
There are so-called good cookies, at least to some people's mind. Many folks are more concerned over privacy and security than convenience. I actually like going back to a website like Amazon and using the one-click feature, which stores all of my vital info in a cookie. I'm just not that paranoid. I'll probably change when a nineteen year-old hacker in VietNam or someplace assumes my identity.

[katze]

Just bought an enhanced version of Ad-Aware this morning; and $15 well spent. I had a lot of garbage, and this software appears to miss nothing.

[NTNgod]

If you don't mind a little extra hassle, you can set up Internet Explorer to ask you if it should allow cookies on a per-cookie basis.

Open Internet Explorer.
Open TOOLS - INTERNET OPTIONS
Hit the DELETE COOKIES button to get rid of what is already there.
Click the PRIVACY tab.
Click the ADVANCED BUTTON.
Click the OVERRIDE AUTOMATIC COOKIE SETTINGS checkbox.
Select PROMPT for both first-party and third party; I allow session cookies myself.

Now each time you visit a site, it'll ask if you want to allow a cookie, and can also remember your settings for each site.

It's a bit of a hassle at first, as you visit each site, but it allows you to customize your settings.


I use Phoenix, which is a lighter-weight version of Mozilla myself :)

Hope this helps!

[Cicero]

You may want to visit the Camtech web site and download a freeware program called CT Cookie Spy. You can use this small program to go through all your cookies and delete the ones you don't want. You should be careful not to delete cookies on which you have stored passwords and the like for sites you want to visit. But if you work carefully, it's a good little program. If you choose, it lets you visit the web sites you aren't sure about just to make sure they aren't something you want to keep. Most of these will probably prove to be advertising sellers and the like.

[Ouachita]

I use this. It's freeware.
AnalogX CookieWall

I've also added these lines to my hosts file. It prevents their dumb ads from loading to begin with. 
127.0.0.1 ln.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ad.au.doubleclick.net 
127.0.0.1 ad.doubleclick.net 
127.0.0.1 m.doubleclick.net 
127.0.0.1 phase2media.doubleclick.net
127.0.0.1 ads.x10.com 
127.0.0.1 ads.x10.com/yahoo
127.0.0.1 www.fastclick.com
127.0.0.1 media.fastclick.net/

[GalvestonBeachcomber]

Cookie Pal

[goodnesswins]

BUMP for later.....also, I'm getting email telling me I've won a free ticket to a PORN site, OR other PORN stuff....after contacting the org where it was mailed from, I've been told they can do nothing about it as someone is using their name (education institutions in Europe).....I'm trying to filter, but each comes with a different address now (different education institution).....anyone have any ideas? Last night pic's popped up that I would NOT have wanted a child to see (let alone ME!)

[Clive]

Delete all cookies except the ones that you really want (such as the Free Republic one so that you don't have to keep logging in every time you wnat to post to FR) then set the browser's privacy to delete all cookies on the browser exiting.

Most cookies are placed for the benefit of the sntity placing them, not for your benefit. You will quickly find out which cookies you really need.

Some sites, such as your bank, will not work unless you accept the site's cookies, but you can delete them after the session and the site will place the cookie again when you next log on. Of course, if you do not want to have to keep plugging in your bank access card number every time you do your banking, you will have to keep the cookie.

The only cookie that I keep is FR. I feel much safer plugging in my bank card number each time.

BTW, I also feel much safer using linux as microsoft applications and operating systems are predatory.

My son uses windows, but I have installed an Opera browser for him.

[Glutton]

One thing I do is use Opera as my browser as it eliminates pop-ups as an option.

I would avoid adware based software such as Gator, or GoZilla as they snoop out your surfing habits to have their homesites talor ads specifically for you.

In fact, Gator is being sued right now for covering up other ads sent from sites people click on. I can understand why someone who pays for nn ad would be angry at pirates hijacking their access to a customer base like they were cowbirds laying in the nests of other birds to get them to raise their young.

The big problem out there is there is no commonly observed ethical base for internet use. Even if you take measures to guard you and your computer, it is a pain in the neck to even have to worry about this sort of thing..

[PAR35]

You have already seen the suggestion to use Mozilla. You can get the same cookie control (but not some of the other benefits) with Netscape.

[Freedom2specul8]

I also have adaware..and love it. A TRICK: One thing I've done is turned off the "download files" option on IE. I only utilize the option, by changing the settings when I want a file to be downloaded. This has completely prevented that stupid gator program from downloading itself onto my harddrive. Before I had to have adaware remove its programs weekly. Now it just leaves cookies...

[varon]

HELP with Bad Cookies

I'll help you with bad cookies if you help me with bad fruit cake, deal? ;-)

[J Jay]

Here are two pieces of software that might be useful to you:

For cookies Try ClearBat:

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/sheppard.p/freeprog.htm

For a supplement to AdAware try SpyBot-Search and Destroy.

http://security.kolla.de/

These are both good maintenance tools.

[Glutton]

The Trouble With Spyware & Advertising-Supported Software

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

I'd be certain I knew what i was doing before getting into firewalls... When using cable or DSL and networked often your router... will suffice.

As far as the cookies, only the URL that branded you will read them. Most of the pop-up software sucks.

Dump your cookies and reset the options. 1-Settings (determine current) 2-Tools 3-Internet Options 4-Delete 5-The normal setting should be 150k, but I'd lower it and make a point of deleting everyday. I'd back-up and look into virus protection.

[airedale]

I had a similar problem with one doubleclick cookie and a fastclick cookie getting though somehow. I went to the Tools Menu. Then go to the Privacy tab and then choose the edit option. Then add the following domains to the list: doubleclick.net doubleclick.com fastclick.net fastclick.com x10.com (I have that one blocked but it was such an annoying ad that I wanted to make sure nothing ever gets in from them.).

The above will prevent them from getting in. I use AD/Subtract Pro for cookie control (other similar software exists but it's what I bought and it works great. It allows me to protect certain cookies (the ones that have a password that I want saved) and delete not only the tracking cookies but all the other ones, the history and the temp files. That gets rid of almost every problem cookie or other tracking junk. I then use Ad-Aware (don't forget to keep it up to date.) Finally I run another piece of freeware Spybot. It gets rid of everything else that doesn't belong. I run this about once a month. It’s a little work but well worth it.