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EVERY WEBSITE YOU visit will mention the same thing upon arriving. It will tell you it’s using cookies, you click ok to get rid of the banner ad that popped up and you go on your merry way.
For the most part, they don’t impact you in any significant way, but it’s worth explaining what exactly they are and how far they can reach.
So what are cookies?
Cookies are a site’s way of tracking your movements while visiting and remembering specific details about it. They come in the form of small text files, with ID tags stored in your browser’s directory for future reference.
One site can have multiple cookies, many from sites you haven’t or will not visit like ad sites, that will be saved on your browser for future reference.
The type of cookie saved is either temporary or permanent. The temporary cookies only remain while you’re still on the site. When you leave, they disappear. Permanent cookies stay saved onto your browser for the next time you log in.
So how much information do they save?
Not a whole lot. As mentioned, cookies are small text files that save three main details: the name of the server it was sent from, how long it lasts and a randomly generated unique number.
Cookies don’t save private or personal information nor can they go through your PC for additional information. They have only one function and that’s only related to the site you’re currently visiting.
What can they be used for?
They allow two things. The first is convenience. By saving data from your last visit, it will load up faster and remember details so it loads up faster. If a site has any customisable features designed for use like sign in, it can save that for you so the next time you visit, you don’t need to go through the same process.
The second and unsurprising part of cookies is they determine the type of ads you see. Have you ever viewed an item on Amazon before visiting another site and seeing it or a similar item being advertised? That’s because of cookies telling those sites where you’ve been and adjusting its ads so they’re more appealing to you.
Some cookies can track your browsing history which leads to this, and for that reason alone, some may feel that is a little invasive, but there are ways to remove them if you feel that way.
How so?
For one, you can delete cookies entirely by going into your browser’s history. This is usually found in settings but all of them allow you to wipe clean cookies and other cached data.
You can also view and block individual cookies by clicking the icon to the left of the site’s URL – normally a lock, globe or page icon – or by going into the browser’s settings.
You could go a step further and download a plugin like Cookie Inspector for Chrome, a plugin that allows you to delve deep and edit cookie properties.
If you do block cookies, it could mean that you will lose some functionality for certain sites, or that you will have to enter in details or change settings every time you visit.
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Wife is getting induced tomorrow with our first child. Bricking it. Not just because of the changes it will bring but worried about them both. Still can’t take in the magnitude of it all but hoping that just being there for her throughout it all will help her.
“Forget about all the advice”… Offers advice!
The best advice I received was to treat the first three months as the fourth trimester. Take to the bed as often as you want/need, breastfeed as much as baba wants, bond, snuggle, have loads of skin to skin contact, sleep whenever you can. Don’t put pressure on yourself to get back out into the world. Those first 12 weeks are a blur, give you and your baby time to get to know each other before venturing outside your bubble. And you’re not alone if you wonder what the f**k have I done! It gets easier!
My daughter in law, who’s Colombian, had a baby three months ago, her second, my sons first. She’s breastfeeding, carries the baby everywhere in a sling and I can honestly say that he’s the quietest, most contented child I’ve ever met! I, a mum of 6, am in awe. We can learn from those less well developed countries, where people still practice the basics. In the first world, we are too concerned with having all the latest gadgets, the prettiest clothes and the horrendously expensive prams and buggies.
Being a parent, the toughest best thing ever, most head wrecking rewarding job going!
Eventually it becomes normal to eat a full roast dinner at ten am cause your up at 5am every morning!!
As a father of two young children I know from experience new mothers are initially reluctant to accept support and like to think they can do everything. They gradually come around though.
It’s a bit hard to ignore the mess when you have OCD. Trust me.
There is nothing wrong with checking out some of Gina Ford advise. It is good to have routines for both parents and child especially if a baby struggles with naps. Other advise regarding preparing meals was also useful to us.
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