Cookies are simply a transparent way to add state informaiton to a web
site.  They are useful for a number of things.

Competant web coders determine if cookies are accepted by the client,
and if not code the state into the hyperlinks or forms on subsequent web
pages.  However, you then run into your other pet peeve about proper URL
encoding.

To say, however, that since HTTP was born stateless it shoul remain that
way is to deny another the use of good tools.  Since HTTP was born
insecure do you also claim that HTTPS is a source of unending trouble?
What about tables?

I don't use cookies - my particular needs are met without them, and I
understand that for someone who does not want state informaiton to be
kept about them (such as the whole doubleclick problem) then it can be a
nusiance to find that some sites simply don't work without them.  To
claim that cookies is the source of unending trouble is similar to
saying that spoons are a source of unending trouble.  Just because you
may not like to use a spoon doesn't mean that every cook in the world
must thicken their soups enough to be eaten with a fork.  Ideally they
will support you by providing alternate items on their menu which do
just as good at sustaining you, but you can't expect to have the same
experience as someone who doesn't mind using a spoon.

A similar problem is going to exist in the not so far future when (not
if) retailers in certian areas will only start to accept electronic
payments, rather than cash/check/money order.  A cottage industry of
payment middlemen will spring up to support people who still want to
remain untracked and anonymous in their purchases just as a web industry
of anonymizer services has sprung up to assist those who don't like
cookies and IP tracking, but still want the full functionality of the web.

I'm all for backwards compatability, but I also understand that to spend
more money and time to support 0.1% of your customers is simply not a
profitable business decision for many companies, if they are even
knowledgable of that 0.1%.

-Adam

Peter L. Peres wrote:

>The HTTP protocol was born stateless, for both servers and clients.
>Cookies add state to it and that causes unending trouble. For example when
>switching browsers, browsing the same site 5 minutes later using a WAP
>phone, etc etc. I do thing like that and I hate cookies. If a web coder is
>too lazy to add $5 of code to support 5 types of browsers and 1 well
>published standard then maybe he should not be allowed to code. Same if
>his IQ is too low to encode what needs encoding in the url that gets
>bookmarked and in setting passwords where needed.
>
>Peter
>
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