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.
My name is Mike Allen. I’m the director of the Maryland Sea Grant Research Experiences for Undergraduates program in marine and estuarine science. I am reaching out to thank you for writing a reference letter for your student’s application to our 2020 program. We value the input that you provide by helping to give us a broader perspective of the student.
I also want to let you know that we have opened up our application period for students interested in our program for summer 2021. If you know of a strong advanced undergraduate student who would benefit from a summer research experience on the Chesapeake Bay, I encourage you to share our information with that student. We select undergraduates in diverse disciplines, including engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, toxicology, ecology and marine and environmental science. In particular, we encourage students from colleges and universities where access to marine science and to research opportunities is limited and who are from groups underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math.
You can find more information on our website (http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/REU) or download a flyer to share using this link (https://bit.ly/MD-REU-21). I’ve included some specifics about the summer program at the bottom of this email.
Again, thank you for taking the time to serve as a letter writer!
Are you looking for a summer research internship studying ocean, coastal or environmental science? I invite you to check out the Maryland Sea Grant Summer REU program. We bring upper-level undergraduate students to the Chesapeake Bay to conduct individual research projects with a scientist-mentor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. We select undergrads in many disciplines, including engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, ecology and marine and environmental science. Our program runs for 12-weeks from May 23 to August 14, 2021.
Each REU fellow will receive: $7,200 stipend Free housing at your research lab Round-trip travel expenses
In particular, we encourage students from colleges and universities where access to marine science and to research opportunities is limited and who are from groups traditionally underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math. We believe bringing together students from many disciplines, backgrounds and parts of the country makes for a more interesting and educational summer experience.
We are accepting applications for the 2021 class now through February 19 and recognize that the state of the pandemic may impact how the program operates. Please visit our website to find out more (www.mdsg.umd.edu/reu) or drop me a note at reu@mdsg.umd.edu.