Internet Cookies – Why Do We Have Them and Where Does Their Name Come From?

You know how it goes – you open a website, and it immediately starts talking about cookies? And then you have to click something to accept them.

But what exactly do these cookies do, where does their name come from, and how were they created?

1. How Were Cookies Created?

2. Why Are Cookies Used?

3. Where Does the Name "Cookies" Come From?

How Were Cookies Created?

Cookies were invented in 1994. Back then, the internet was still wearing diapers, and online stores had no idea how to remember customer data.

For example, a customer would add a product to their cart, refresh the page, and suddenly, the item would disappear because the online store didn’t remember it. The website also didn’t remember user passwords, so they had to be entered every single time. Similarly, it didn’t remember the language the customer wanted to read the site in.

Programmer Lou Montulli sought a solution that would allow websites to remember this information so that users wouldn’t have to reselect everything every time they visited.

He created a system where the browser (e.g., Google Chrome or Safari) remembers specific information using small text files stored on the user’s device. When the user returns to the website, the browser sends this information back, allowing the website or online store to immediately recognize them.

Why Are Cookies Used?

Cookies are now indispensable for everything we do on the internet.
They are especially useful for:

✅ Keeping you logged in, so you don’t have to re-enter your password every five minutes.
✅ Remembering items in your cart, so you don’t have to add them again every time you open a new page.
✅ Storing settings like language, dark mode, or favorite pages.
✅ Analyzing website visits, so the site knows what users like the most.
✅ Showing ads that are suspiciously relevant to you.

Cookies serve different purposes:

• Session cookies
  Keep users logged in while browsing.
  (Example: When you log in to Gmail and open a new page, you stay logged in.)

• Persistent cookies
  Remember user settings and preferences.
  (Example: YouTube remembers that you always watch videos in dark mode or 1080p resolution.)

• Analytical cookies
  Collect data on user behavior on websites.
  (Example: Google Analytics tracks how long users stay on a specific page and which pages they visit.)

• Advertising cookies
  Track users across different websites to show personalized ads.
  (Example: When you look at shoes in an online store, you later see ads for similar shoes on Facebook or Instagram.)

Where Does the Name "Cookies" Come From?

The word "cookie" originates from the programming term "magic cookie". This refers to a small packet of data that a computer program saves and later reuses (e.g., for authentication – checking whether a user has access to a specific function or file).

This "magic cookie" concept was used by programmers in old, non-web-based operating systems, and Lou Montulli later adapted it for the web.

Even though cookies may seem insignificant at first glance, they are the light at the end of the tunnel. They save you a looooot of frustration. They are an integral part of the internet – and without them, browsing would be far less convenient.