Cookies are small text files that web sites place in your computer to help your browsers remember specific information (such as user name and preferences). This information is provided by the user during the first visit to a web server. The server records this information in a text file and stores it on the user's hard drive. When the user accesses the same web site again, the server looks for the cookie and configures itself based on whether you have visited the site before or not. The web server issuing the cookie is the only server that can read that particular cookie. Some cookies can retrieve small peices of information from your computer, like platform or moniter resolution, to better improve their web site.Cookies can be deleted by going to the "tools" dropdown menu in your web browser, selecting "options", then selecting "delete cookies". This will remove the cookies and free up a small amount of space, though probably not enough to make a difference.