Preamble.
The information presented as follows are meant to bring to the attention of the user more details about the placement, use and administration of the cookies utilized by www.mid-century.net.
Please read carefully the following information:
This website uses cookies in order to provide its visitors with a better navigation experience, as well as services adapted to the needs and interest of each one of them.
The cookies are meant to facilitate the access and delivery services utilized by the Internet user, such as the personalization of certain settings (the language content, the country, price currency, etc.).
Based on the information they collect about the users, the cookies help the website owners to make their products more efficient, so that it becomes easier to Access by users. Also, they increase the degree of efficiency of on-line publicity. Last but not least, they can allow multimedia or any other type of application from other websites to be included in a particular site to make navigation more useful/ more pleasant.
What is a cookie ?
The Cookie („browser cookie” or „HTTP cookie”) is a small-size folder, made up of letters and numbers, which is stored on any terminal with an Internet access (computer, mobile phone, tablet, etc.) and is installed by the request issued by a server to a browser (e.g.: Safari, Internet Explorer, Chrome, etc.).
To remember: the cookies don’t contain software programs, viruses or spyware, and they cannot access the information on the user’s hard drive. The cookies don’t request personal information and don’t identify personally the Internet users.
A cookie is made up of name and content, its lifecycle being determined, and being able to be accessed again by the server when a user returns to the website associated to the respective server.
The cookies are classified as follows :
Session cookies : they are temporarily stored in the history of the browser, which retains them until the moment when the user leaves the respective site or closes the browser window.
Persistent cookies (fixed) : these are stored, depending on the predetermined duration, on the hard drive of a computer or equipment. Persistent cookies include also the ones placed by a different site than the one visited by the user at that time (known as “third party cookies”). They can be used anonymously in order to retain the interests of a user, for statistics purposes or in order to deliver publicity as relevant as possible to the user.
What are the advantages of the cookies ?
A cookie contains information that links a user and a particular website. If a browser accesses that server again, it can read the information which is already stored and can react accordingly.
Cookies ensure that the user has a pleasant navigation experience and sustain the efforts many websites make to provide comfortable services for the user (for example: preferences regarding online safety, options regarding the site language, shopping carts or relevant publicity).
What is the life span of a cookie ?
A cookie’s life span can differ, depending on the purpose it serves. There are cookies that are used exclusively for one session: they are not stored after the user exits the respective website.
Permanent cookies are retained and reused every time the user returns on the respective site, but they can be erased at any time by the user.
What are the cookies placed by a 3rd party ?
Certain content parts on certain websites can be placed on the respective site accessed by third parties through banners, boxes or links; all these instruments can contain cookies. They are called “third party cookies” because they are not placed by the owner of the respective site, and third suppliers obey the legislations in force in the countries where they are active and to the confidentiality policies of the website owners. For example, Google can be a third party that places cookies.
A visit to this site can place :
Website performance cookies
Visitor analysis cookies
Geo-targeting cookies
Registration/ authentication cookies
Publicity cookies
Publicity supplier cookies
These cookies may be generated by our website or by third parties
How does this website use cookies ?
Performance cookies : This type of cookie retains the user’s preferences on this site, so that there is no need for them to be set up during each visit to the website. For example: setting up the volume for the video player.
Visitor analysis cookies : Each time a user visits this site, the analysis/ statistics software provided by a third party generates a user analysis cookie. This cookie tells us whether you visited this site in the past. We can thus monitor the number of single users that visit us, and how often they come back on the site. As long as you are not registered on this site, this cookie cannot be used to identify you nominally, it is used only for statistics purposes. If you are registered as a client, we can also know the details which you voluntarily provided us with when you created your account, such as your email address and your username. This information is personal. We will never make it public, observing the commitment made through the Confidentiality policy of the site, and observing the provisions of the legislation in force regarding the protection of personal data.
Geo-targeting cookies : These cookies are used by a soft that determines from what country you access the website. It is completely anonymous and it is only used to provide a targeted content.
Registration cookies : When you wish to authenticate yourself on this site, we generate a cookie that lets us know if you are already registered or not. Our servers use this cookie to show us (when case be) the type of account you are registered with and if you have the permission to access certain restricted areas of the site. Also, it lets us associate you with any comment that you publish on the site using a certain account. If you haven’t selected “remember me” when you authenticated yourself, this cookie will be erased automatically when you close the browser or turn off the computer.
Publicity cookies : These cookies allow us to find out whether you watched an online ad or not, what was the type of ad and what time period has passed since you saw that publicity message. These cookies are also used to target publicity. For this, we can also use cookies pertaining to a third party. These cookies are anonymous, storing information on the content viewed, rather than on the users.
Other cookies from third parties : On some pages, third parties can set up their own anonymous cookies, in order to follow the success of an application used by this site. Due to its way of use, this site cannot access the respective cookies, precisely like third parties cannot utilize the cookies owned by this site. For example, when you distribute an article using the button for social networks which you can find on this site, the respective social network will register your activity.
Do cookies contain personal data ?
Cookies themselves don’t require personal information from the users in order to be utilized and, in the majority of cases they don’t personally identify Internet users. Personal data collected by the use of cookies can be collected only in order to facilitate certain functionalities for the user. Such data is encrypted in a way that makes it impossible for unauthorized persons to have access to them.
What type of information is stored and accessed through the use of cookies ?
Cookies store information in a text file of small size that allows a site to recognize a browser.
The server will recognize the browser up to the moment when the cookie expires or it is deleted.
The cookie stores important information that improve the Internet navigation experience (for example, language settings; keeping a user logged in on a certain website; online payment security; keeping the products in the shopping cart, etc.)
Why are cookies important for the Internet ?
Cookies represent the central point of efficient functioning of the Internet, helping to generate a friendly navigation experience, adapted to the preferences and interests of each user. Refusing or deactivating cookies can make certain websites impossible to use. Please bear in mind the fact that refusing or deactivating cookies does not mean that you will stop receiving online ads, but only that suppliers will not be able to consider your preferences and interests, as shown by your navigation patterns.
Examples of important cookie uses (that don’t require the authentication of a user by creating an account):
Content and services adapted to the preferences of the user: categories of news, weather, sports, maps, public and government services, entertainment websites and travel services.
Offers that are adapted to the interests of the users: storing passwords, language preferences (for example: showing the results of the search in Romanian)
Storing protection filters for children regarding Internet content
Content and services adapted to the preferences of the user: categories of news, weather, sports, maps, public and government services, entertainment websites and travel services.
Showing advertisements and publicity that is relevant to the user.
Measuring, optimization and analysis characteristics: such as the confirmation of a certain level of traffic on the site, what type of content is viewed and the way a user reaches a certain website (e.g.: through search engines, from other websites, etc.). Websites run these analyses in order to improve the services they provide to their users.
Security and issues concerning confidentiality.
Cookies are NOT viruses! They use ‘plain text’ types of formats. They are not made up of pieces of codes so they cannot be executed, and they cannot self-execute. Consequently, they cannot be duplicated or replicated on other websites, in order for them to duplicate or replicate again. As they cannot perform these functions, they cannot be considered viruses.
Cookies can be used for negative purposes too. Since they store information regarding the preferences and navigation history of a user, both on a particular website, as well as on multiple websites, cookies can be used as a form of Spyware. Many anti-spyware products are aware of this aspect and they constantly mark cookies to be erased during the delete/ anti-virus scanning/ anti-spyware scanning procedures.
Generally, the browsers come with integrated confidentiality settings that provide different levels of acceptance of cookies, depending on their validity period and automated erasure after the user visited a certain website.
Other security aspects related to cookies.
Since identity protection is very valuable and represents the right of every Internet user, it is best to know want possible issues cookies can lead to. Considering the fact that through them information is sent both ways constantly, between the browser and the website, if a hacker or an authorized person intervenes during the course of data transmission, the information contained by the respective cookies can be intercepted.
Although very rarely, this situation can happen if the browser connects to the server using an unencrypted network (e.g.: a Wi-Fi network without a security key).
Other cookie-based attacks relate to erroneous cookie set-ups on different servers. If a website does not require that the browser use only encrypted channels, the hackers can use this weakness to trick the browsers into sending information via unsecure channels. The hackers then use the data in order to access in an unauthorized manner certain websites. It is very important that you pay attention when choosing the most appropriate method of personal data protection.
Advice for a safe and responsible navigation, based on cookies.
Due to their flexibility and the fact that the majority of the most visited and largest websites use cookies, they are almost inevitable. Deactivating cookies will not allow the user to access the most used and most common websites, such as Youtube, Gmail, Yahoo and others. Here are some pieces of advice that can assure that you are navigating carefree using cookies:
Personalize your browser settings regarding the cookies in order to reflect a comfortable level of security when using cookies.
If you are not bothered by cookies and you are the only person that uses the computer, you can set up extended expiration dates to store the navigation history and personal data for access. If you share access to the computer, you can consider setting up the browser to delete your individual navigation data each time you close the browser. This is one way to access websites that use cookies and to delete any information when you end the navigation session.
Constantly install and update your anti-spyware applications.
Many of the spyware detection and prevention applications include the detection of site attacks. Thus, they impede the browser to access websites that could exploit the vulnerability of the respective browser or from downloading dangerous software. Make sure your browser is always updated. Many of the attacks based on cookies are done by exploiting the weak spots of the browsers’ older versions.
Cookies are everywhere and they cannot be avoided if you wish to enjoy Access to the best and largest websites on the Internet: local or international. Clearly understanding the way they operate and the benefits they bring means that you can take all necessary security measures so that you can safely navigate on the Internet.
Deactivating and refusing cookies.
Deactivating and refusing to receive cookies can make certain websites impracticable or difficult to visit and use. Also, the refusal to accept cookies does not mean that you will no longer receive/ see publicity online.
It is possible to set up the browser so that it doesn’t accept cookies, or that it accepts cookies only from a certain website. But, for example, if you don’t accept cookies you will not be able to publish comments.
All modern browsers offer the possibility to change cookie settings. These settings are usually found under ‘Options’ or in the ‘Preferences’ menu of your browser.
For the settings of cookies generated by third parties and for more information regarding confidentiality regarding online publicity, IAB Romania has prepared the following website: http://www.youronlinechoices.com/
To better understand these settings, please use any one of the following links. Also, you can use the ‘Help’ section of your browser for more details.
Cookie settings in Internet Explorer
Cookie settings in Firefox
Cookie settings in Chrome
Cookie settings in Safari
If you want more information regarding cookies and what they are used for, we recommend the following links: