Cookies are small pieces of computer text that are used to collect information from computers and can be used to serve targeted ads to consumers.

ENGADGET: Google to pay $22.5 million to settle FTC charges over tracking cookies in Apple's Safari browser

Cookies (or browser cookies), Web Beacons, And Other Similar Technologies: Cookies are small bits of information that our web sites place on the hard drive of your computer.

NEWSWEEK: Privacy Policy

It all started so innocently with one small gift of homemade cookies that your neighbors reciprocated with a very fancy bottle of wine, which made you want to buy something even nicer the next year to thank them for that bottle of wine, which they returned with a gift certificate for a swanky restaurant in town.

FORBES: Four Types Of Gift Giving That Will Leave You Broke

The advertising service was one of the first to use "cookies, " the often-criticized small files downloaded to users' computers to track their surfing.

FORBES

People who had not seen anyone else's pizza slice and those who had been given what appeared to be a small slice of pizza went on to eat the same amount of cookies.

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Some people at my university are selling cookies for Red Nose Day tomorrow, I will buy some of those and offload my small change to anyone with a collection box, it all helps.

BBC: Red Nose Day: Your comments