What is a cookie?

Not the cookies that give us a food orgasm. These cookies are a (persistent) key-value data storage for enhancing internet experience. It was invented by an early Netscape browser innovator.

What do they do?

HTTP requests have no memory storage while conversing. Cookies are a text file in the browser to serve as memory storage in HTTP transactions. In other words, HTTP is a stateless protocol, cookies provide a mechanism to "maintain state"

Are they helpful?

The idea came from the inventor while experiencing a web-deficiency, words from him: "It was like talking to someone with Alzheimers disease". Without cookies, there is no cart experience. Now there are other storage mechanisms such as local storage but cookies are unique by it's presence in the web request and response object. You could say without browser memory we could curb some shopping addictions. Also proves it only takes a few consistent data points to make a powerful feature. Cookies expire within minimum 400 days.

Are they bad?

Are third party cookies are bad? Not all the time because it depends on your privacy requirements. I understand the cunning perception of it, especially from third party links. Google announced they are removing third party cookie usage from Chrome's default settings by 2025. Cookies are present 'to enhance browser experience' and so it does.

Thanks for reading!