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Some websites I have visited during the early 2010s such as some flash game websites allowed users to vote as guests.

To keep votes accountable, some sites solely relied on browser cookies, meaning that if I deactivated cookies in the browser, and ran an auto clicker software, I could upvote some resources as often as I wished.

I guess no web developer is this foolish in 2020, but in the early 2010s, some web developers actually were.

I remember it having worked once on LEGO.com video resources. I added >5000 likes to some video I found there just for testing.

I guess the LEGO.com site developers did not expect children to figure that out, and were surprised when one video suddenly got >5000 likes in one day.

Some websites I have visited during the early 2010s such as some flash game websites allowed users to vote as guests. To keep votes accountable, some sites **solely relied on browser cookies**, meaning that if I deactivated cookies in the browser, and ran an auto clicker software, I could upvote some resources as often as I wished. I guess no web developer is this foolish in 2020, but in the early 2010s, some web developers actually were. I remember it having worked once on LEGO.com video resources. I added >5000 likes to some video I found there just for testing. I guess the LEGO.com site developers did not expect children to figure that out, and were surprised when one video suddenly got >5000 likes in one day.

(post is archived)

[–] • 1 pt (edited )

>I guess no web developer is this foolish in 2020

That's not how it works...

Personally I'm willing to be that foolish, any day, no problem, even more in 2020 eventually. I mean as long as I'm paid to do it and the client doesn't mind...

You see, sometimes there are people who simply hate cookies. Idk what they picture in their head, when they hear "cookie", so I feel like I have an obligation to explain what a cookie is, that it doesn't bite, it doesn't turn you fat, it's not dirty it's not an STD.... It's just a text file... But no, there's something evil involved with cookies now, something unholy, for some people... And no they don't want the cookie... No more cookie

So, yeah, to "I want unregistred users to be able to upvote"... The answer has to be yes, and it has to fit the budget, so... If they don't mind about the cookies that's already great...

[–] • 0 pt

I see. Are you a web developer?

[–] • 1 pt

That's a very good question

I guess I still am

[–] • 0 pt

What are you talking about. Cookies are used to track you. Sessions are cookies. It's the way the server knows who the client is.

Cookies can also be used federally so that different actors (i.e. servers) can have access to common cookies assuming they've colluded on centrally storing data.

Cookies are a technology that can be used for good, bad, or completely innocuous purposes. But this whole business of saying "it's not an STD" or "something evil about them... pfft, as if!" is rather misleading.

[–] • 0 pt

A cookie is a dumb ass text file, it's not automatically an existential threat just because it's called "cookie", that's actually what I'm saying, if you didn't get that you have reading comprehension problems

>assuming they've colluded on centrally storing data

Yeah precisely, so it takes a little more than just a "cookie" to go full satan, we agree, cookies aren't to blame here, people colluding to fuck over everyone through some data "grey market" are, to be clear

If cookies are STDs so is localstorage, so is the fucking browser cache, so is the fucken entire internet

[–] [deleted] • 1 pt

To be fair, a huge chunk of the internet is pure cancer.

[–] • 0 pt (edited )

FIrst off, to talk about it as being text file isn't very helpful for most people. That's like talking techno-geek-gibberish to your client or business stakeholder. How the fuck does that help a non-techie understand wtf a cookie is?

A cookie is a piece of data. It's used by a server to track who the client is.

Of course it could be used for nefarious shit. How else do you think ads follow you wherever you go? Your online behavior is being tracked and someone is paying for it. Sometimes advertisers who just to sell you useless Chinese trinkets. Sometimes three letter government agencies. Sometimes it's not sold at all, and it's used for internal reasons that are of no consequence to the user.

we agree, cookies aren't to blame here, people colluding to fuck over everyone through some data "grey market" are, to be clear

We may agree or not. It's hard to tell because initially you passed it off like it's completely harmless tech and of no possible concern to anyone, but now that I called you out on it, you're back-paddling to make it seem like we were just saying the same thing the whole time.

If cookies are STDs so is localstorage, so is the fucking browser cache, so is the fucken entire internet

They are. What's your point?