Web cookies (also called HTTP cookies, browser cookies, or simply cookies) are small pieces of data that websites store on your device (computer, phone, etc.) through your web browser. They are used to remember information about you and your interactions with the site.
Purpose of Cookies:
Session Management:
Keeping you logged in
Remembering items in a shopping cart
Saving language or theme preferences
Personalization:
Tailoring content or ads based on your previous activity
Tracking & Analytics:
Monitoring browsing behavior for analytics or marketing purposes
Types of Cookies:
Session Cookies:
Temporary; deleted when you close your browser
Used for things like keeping you logged in during a single session
Persistent Cookies:
Stored on your device until they expire or are manually deleted
Used for remembering login credentials, settings, etc.
First-Party Cookies:
Set by the website you're visiting directly
Third-Party Cookies:
Set by other domains (usually advertisers) embedded in the website
Commonly used for tracking across multiple sites
Authentication cookies are a special type of web cookie used to identify and verify a user after they log in to a website or web application.
What They Do:
Once you log in to a site, the server creates an authentication cookie and sends it to your browser. This cookie:
Proves to the website that you're logged in
Prevents you from having to log in again on every page you visit
Can persist across sessions if you select "Remember me"
What's Inside an Authentication Cookie?
Typically, it contains:
A unique session ID (not your actual password)
Optional metadata (e.g., expiration time, security flags)
Analytics cookies are cookies used to collect data about how visitors interact with a website. Their primary purpose is to help website owners understand and improve user experience by analyzing things like:
How users navigate the site
Which pages are most/least visited
How long users stay on each page
What device, browser, or location the user is from
What They Track:
Some examples of data analytics cookies may collect:
Page views and time spent on pages
Click paths (how users move from page to page)
Bounce rate (users who leave without interacting)
User demographics (location, language, device)
Referring websites (how users arrived at the site)
Here’s how you can disable cookies in common browsers:
1. Google Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data.
Choose your preferred option:
Block all cookies (not recommended, can break most websites).
Block third-party cookies (can block ads and tracking cookies).
2. Mozilla Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
Under the Enhanced Tracking Protection section, choose Strict to block most cookies or Custom to manually choose which cookies to block.
3. Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the top-left corner of the screen.
Go to Preferences > Privacy.
Check Block all cookies to stop all cookies, or select options to block third-party cookies.
4. Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Cookies and site permissions.
Select your cookie settings from there, including blocking all cookies or blocking third-party cookies.
5. On Mobile (iOS/Android)
For Safari on iOS: Go to Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security > Block All Cookies.
For Chrome on Android: Open the app, tap the three dots, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies.
Be Aware:
Disabling cookies can make your online experience more difficult. Some websites may not load properly, or you may be logged out frequently. Also, certain features may not work as expected.
FOI #18-003 (01-3-18, 11:03 am) - Subject - sexual harassment settlements
Name - Melissa Korn
Affiliation - Wall Street Journal
Under the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act § 1-200 et seq., I request that you make available for inspection and copying any and all records that detail financial settlements related to sexual harassment and/or sexual assault allegations by or against students, faculty and staff within the University of Connecticut -- Storrs campus. I am looking specifically for settlements made in calendar 2016 and 2017 related to sexual misconduct.
FOI #18-002 (01-3-18, 11:03 am) - Subject - Susan Herbst emails
Name - Nathan Rubbelke
Affiliation - The College Fix
I am requesting an opportunity to inspect or obtain copies of any and all emails sent and received by University of Connecticut President Susan Herbst between 11/20/2017 and 12/20/2017 that contain any of the following words or phrases: "lucian," "wintrich," "gateway pundit,” “speaker,” or “college republicans”
I am requesting to inspect or obtain copies of any and all records between the dates of January 1, 2015 and January 2, 2018 that: (1) List the budget for the University of Connecticut’s Title IX Office (2) List the Title IX’s office staff number and job descriptions.
(1) Results of any disciplinary action taken against designated employees in regards to the complaints I made earlier this summer, the case was completed on Dec, 15 2017. (2) Also I would like to know the exact date that a designated employee began payroll.
Pursuant to the state open records act, I request access to and electronic copies of the most recent salaries and employment contracts (if existing) of the following employees: 1. Maureen Butler 2. Chris West 3. Joel DeMarco 4. Amanda Kimball 5. Erik Klein 6. Ed Streit. If the individuals requested do not have employment contracts with the university; I would like to request their most current salary information.
Updated maps for the area around off campus housing (Carriage House, Celeron, and Cedar Ridge) similar to January 1991 map titled Water Supply Line, Off Campus Supply Line.
FOI #17-256 (12-27-17, 12:11 pm) - Subject - White House visit
Name - Craig Fehrman
Affiliation -
Pursuant to the state open records law Conn. Gen. Stat. Secs. 1-200 to 1-242, I am requesting electronic copies of the following public records: -- Any documents sent from or received by UConn's Athletic Department referring to or relating to the visit between President Obama and the university's men's AND women's basketball teams in the spring of 2014. (Documents here might include but are not limited to emails and text message, of course, but also logs of phone calls, private messages on social media, personal emails, handwritten notes, memos from meetings, drafts of public statements, and so on.)
The lease between the town of West Hartford and the University of Connecticut regarding the land used as playing fields on the West Hartford UCONN campus.