What is a cookie?
The term cookie refers to a small data file consisting solely of a set of text information that the site transmits to the web browser on your computer’s hard disk, either temporarily throughout your visit, or sometimes for longer periods, depending on the type of cookie. Cookies perform different operations (for example, you are distinguished from other site’s visitors or remember certain info for you like your preferences) and are used by most websites to improve your user experience. Each cookie is unique to your browser and contains some anonymous information. A cookie typically contains the name of the cookie field, the cookie’s lifetime, and a value (usually in the form of a randomly generated unique number).
Types of cookies
The basic types of cookies are described below:
- Session cookies
These are temporary cookies that remain in the cookie file of your device’s browser only during your visit and are deleted when you close the browser.
- Persistent cookies
These remain in the cookie file of your device’s browser even after the browser closes, sometimes for one year or more (the exact length of stay depends on the lifetime of each cookie). Permanent cookies are used when the site administrator may need to know who you are for more than one visit (e.g., to remember your username or your site configuration preferences).
- First-party cookies
These are cookies installed on your browser and/or hard drive of your device from the site you are visiting. This includes assigning a unique ID to you, in order to monitor your site navigation. Site creators often use first-party cookies to handle visits and for identification purposes.
- Third-party cookies
These are cookies used by third parties, such as social networks to track your visits to the various sites they advertise. The site administrator has no control over these third-party cookies.
Cookies on this site and how to manage them
On this site, we use cookies for the purpose of measuring website traffic. Site functionality will not be affected if you disable or disagree with the use of cookies. See the following information about the third-party cookies we use on this site, including how to disable them and the effect of disabling on the site’s functionality. If you need any help on how to manage certain types of cookies, including how to check or delete them, please visit www.aboutcookies.org.
Google Analytics & Facebook Pixel cookies
Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel cookies are performance analytics/logging cookies that allow us to collect anonymous information about how visitors use our site. These cookies can inform us about how many visitors use the site, the visit’s time and duration, and also provide information on how visitors navigate across the site. This information helps us improve the way our site works. They are anonymous information and do not contain personal information. The information collected by the Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel cookies about our site is transferred and stored on Google’s and Meta’s servers in accordance with each company’s privacy policy. For more information on Google Analytics, please visit https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245, while for more information about the Facebook Pixel service, please visit https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/dataprocessing/update. You can disable Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel tracking by clicking the “Decline” button. If you disable these cookies, your activity will not be counted or used in the statistics we collect to improve the services we provide through this site. Website functionality will not be affected.