a question about cookies

what information can a cookie give you?

[werty]

allright i have a little bit of a question.

i am supposed to find out if there is anyway to get an email address of someone who is on your web page simpl from using a cookie?

i know you can get the ip of a visitor, then you can do a lookup on that and see what isp or company they are.

what else can you get from using a cookie?

a few years ago ni heard that cookies can trck which web sites you have been to between visits to the site issuing the cookie? how much truth is in that?

one logging/log analysis software i am looking into places a cookie when someone enters a page..then it can track the path and if they are a return visitor or new traffic.

thanks in advance

[korkus2000]

Cookies are simply information that you set on someone elses computer. It will last as long as either you set experation or they clean out their cookie folder. The problem people have with cookies is when multiple sites use a cookie to see your surfing habits like doubleclick. They set a cookie when you view one of their ads. Then track you with the cookie through multiple sites that use their banners. I don't know if they still do or the detials, but that was a concearn before. I think you are refering to scumware or an application that sites on the computer like gator and not a cookie.

[werty]

yeah i thought it was not a cookie that can get an email address. my boss is convinced that hey gets all these emails because of these cookies getting his email addy.(same boss who wanted me to use web position gold)

i figured it was just him being on a bunch of junk lists.

as for the cookie i am talking about on my site it issues a cookie to the new user and then it tracks what internal pages they go to and what page they leave at. if they are a return visitor and the cookie has not expired or been deleted i think it marks them as a return visitor and then tracks their path again.

i looked into double click to see if they offered the solution that he is looking for. i think it is just some misunderstanding on his part and he barks the orders to me and i am supposed to find a solution that he actually thinks exists.

thank you for the help so far...hopefully i can convince him that this cannot be done and i can quit looking for a way.