2001/11/01 by David M. Kristol · 3 citations
Social Sciences · #Privacy, Security, and Data Protection
paper · doi:10.1145/502152.502153
openalex publication_date 2001/11/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/15
How did we get from a world where cookies were something you ate and where "nontechies" were unaware of "Netscape cookies" to a world where cookies are a hot-button privacy issue for many computer users? This article describes how HTTP "cookies" work and how Netscape's original specification evolved into an IETF Proposed Standard. I also offer a personal perspective on how what began as a straightforward technical specification turned into a political flashpoint when it tried to address nontechnical issues such as privacy.