A simple Mozilla extension for fast cookie activation (or deactivation)

About Fastcookie

Fastcookie is a simple (actually trivial ;-)) Mozilla browser extension that is intended for the "security aware" surfer. If you are someone who does not like people to store cookie information on your computer, but sometimes need cookies (e.g., when ordering an online ticket), Fastcookie might be the browser extension that you are looking for. Fastcookie menu items, you can activate or deactivate cookies in your browser. Whenever cookies are deactivated, the cookies that are stored on your computer are all automatically deleted.

Why did I write Fastcookie? Because I am paranoid ;-) No, seriously, I don't like web sites to store cookies on my computer and to collect statistics about me. You may think that this is not a big deal... actually, it probably isn't... but I don't like it anyway. I used to use the Firefox setting that allowed certain web sites to set cookies (i.e., creating exceptions), but the cookie prompts started to nerve every time I was surfing web sites that I found through Google.

I decided that what I needed was a fast way to activate and deactivate cookies depending on my needs. I am sure there are similar tools, but I use this one. Be my guest if you'd like to use it to.

Prerequisites

The Mozilla [Firefox] browser.

Install

If you are already using Mozilla extensions, then ignore this part of the document. If you are new, keep reading: First, download Fastcookie and store it somewhere on your computer. Next, press CTRL-O (or go to the File menu item and then choose Open). Pick the Fastcookie extension file you've just downloaded. You will see a dialog where you can press the Install button. That's it.

Running and using it

After Fastcookie is installed in Mozilla (e.g., Firefox), it creates two menu items: You'll find it in the Tools menu and in the pop up menu when you press the right mouse button (check out the screenshots). Using the Fastcookie menu items, you can activate or deactivate cookies in your browser. Of course, you can also use Fastcookie through hot keys by pressing ALT-T and then K.

1.) Screenshot showing the Fastcookie menu item in the main menu
2.) Screenshot showing the Fastcookie pop menu item (i.e., right mouse click)

Licence

Fastcookie is licensed under the Mozilla Public Licence Version 1.1.

Download

Follow this link to get Fastcookie: Fastcookie Version 1.0 (fastcookie.xpi)

Authors

Fastcookie was written by Engin Kirda during an acute "let's hack some code and fix this problem" session.

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Last Modified: Thu Jan 19 15:53:43 CET 2012