HTTPevästeiden

HTTPevästeiden, or HTTP cookies in English, are small pieces of data sent from a website and stored on the user's computer by the user's web browser while the user is browsing. They were first introduced by web programmer Lou Montulli in 1994 while he was working for Netscape Communications. The primary purpose of HTTPevästeiden is to maintain stateful information (such as session tracking) in a stateless protocol like HTTP.

When a user visits a website, the server can send a cookie to the user's browser. The browser may then store this cookie and send it back to the server with subsequent requests. This allows the server to recognize the user and remember certain information, such as items added to a shopping cart, login sessions, or user preferences.

Cookies can be either temporary (session cookies) or persistent. Session cookies are stored in memory and are deleted when the browser is closed. Persistent cookies, on the other hand, are saved to the hard drive and have an expiration date. They remain on the user's computer until they expire or are deleted.

While HTTPevästeiden are widely used and generally safe, they have raised privacy concerns. Cookies can be used to track users' browsing habits across multiple websites, which has led to the development of privacy-focused technologies and regulations, such as the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

In summary, HTTPevästeiden are a fundamental part of the web, enabling essential functionalities like session management and personalized user experiences. However, their use also raises important privacy considerations that continue to be addressed by technologists and regulators alike.