What are cookies?
When a browser connects to a web server to request a page, the web server supplies the page and may also supply a cookie, which is a small piece of information. The browser may store this (depending on the user’s settings)
When the browser returns to the same website later (or even immediately afterward) it hands over the cookie and the web server can determine from that cookie some information that is usually used to “recognise” the visitor from the previous visit.
Thus the website can “remember” things like what the visitor has in their virtual shopping basket, or what preferences the user has set for how the web page should be displayed.
If the user “turns off” cookies using browser settings, some functionality on some websites will not be available. Some websites may force the user to re-login instead of remembering the user’s credentials. Some websites may not work at all.
Analytics
By matching up consecutive visits, it is possible to determine how the user is moving around the pages on the website, whether the visitor is visiting for the first time or is returning, and other things which enable website designers to understand how the website might need to be improved for better usability.
Tracking Cookies
Some cookies (not used on this site) are used by marketers to relate visits to different websites together, thus tracking a visitor’s movements and enabling information to be accumulated from different sources. It is mostly abuse of this facility that the new EU Cookie law is aimed at addressing.
So what cookies does the Vapourtec website use?
For the vast majority of this website’s function, no cookies are used. However, to monitor website traffic and user behaviour we employ Google Analytics which sets the following cookies:
| Cookie name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| _utma | These cookies are used to collect information about how visitors use our site. We use the information to compile reports and to help us improve the site. The data collected is in an anonymous form. | After two years. |
| _utmb | After 30 minutes | |
| _utmc | When the browsing session ends. | |
| _utmz | After six months. |
For more information, visit the Google Privacy Policy page (Note, this applies to all Google services, not just Google Analytics).
In addition, users of the Vapourtec Knowledge Base will have the following cookies set for them.
Note:
[hash] indicates a value that has been encrypted using an MD5 hash.
[userID] indicates a unique system identification number assigned to all users of the Vapourtec Knowledge Base.
| Cookie name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| wordpress_[hash] | Used to store your Knowledge Base authentication details. | When the browsing session ends. |
| wordpress_logged_in_[hash] | Used to indicate to the site when you're logged in to the Knowledge Base, and who you are. | When the browsing session ends. |
| wp-settings-[userID] | Used to get your Knowledge Base profile settings for your user ID | After one year. |
| wp-settings-time-[userID] | Used to customize your view of the Knowledge Base interface. | After one year. |
| wordpress_test_cookie | Used to determine if your browser accepts cookies or not. | When the browsing session ends. |
| kb_page_url | Used to store the URL of the last page viewed before logging in to the Knowledge Base so that you can be redirected back there after login. | After 24 hours |
| just_logged_out | Used to indicate to the website that the user has just logged out of the Knowledge Base and provide user interface messages accordingly. | 5 seconds after logout |