Why does this site use cookies?

Web servers are a lot like a phone that everyone knows the number of; Anyone can dial it up, but without some sort of caller ID function, it has no way to know who you are. It can tell what computer you used to get to the web site, but not who was using it.

Cookies are a way that the web server can keep track of you between each "call" to the web server. (Every time you click on a link or go to a different page, its like a new "call" to the server. You can only fetch one page at a time.)

We aren't doing anything evil with cookies, but we need some way to keep things straight so the server doesn't get confused about who you really are. The cookie we use is a lot like your voice would be to someone on a phone. Your voice doesn't change every time you make a phone call, and the person on the other end of the line can tell you are you. Our cookie does pretty much the same thing. We aren't tracking anything you do or doing anything suspicious, but we need some way to make sure you are who you say you are.