As a convenience, the Protein Explorer remembers which PDB files you have loaded from your hard disk. These filenames can be picked from a pull-down menu for easy reloading. It also remembers which nearby PDB mirror site you prefer for getting PDB files.

The only mechanism provided in web browsers for remembering personal data between sessions at the client's computer is called "cookies". Cookies are small items of information which are saved in a file called cookies.txt (MagicCookie on Macs) in your browser's folder. One of the most common uses for cookies is to remember items you have selected for purchase in a "shopping cart". The Protein Explorer saves a list of the files you have loaded in previous sessions as cookies.

There is a widespread rumor that cookies are a security hazard. Therefore some people have disabled cookies, or configured their browser to warn them when the web page being viewed requests saving a cookie. Netscape 4 has various cookie options under Edit, Preferences, Advanced. In Internet Explorer 4, go to View, Internal Options, Advanced, Security.

[Additional information about cookie security will be provided here before the release of version 1 of the Protein Explorer.]

If you wish to disable or intercept cookies, let me know and if I get enough requests, I'll make the cookie features of the Protein Explorer optional.