How do I set up Internet Explorer so I only have to enter my username
 and password once per session on the discussion group?

Cookies are small files placed on your hard drive by a web site. The BCCOnline discussion group uses a "session only" cookie. This means the discussion group puts a small file with your username and password on your computer so that you don't have to continually re-log into the discussion group. Instead, the discussion group finds the cookie (file) and uses it to prove you have the right to be in the discussion group. When you close Internet Explorer, the cookie (file) is deleted by the discussion group software. Then it is recreated by the discussion group software the next time you go to the discussion group.  The only information in this temporary file is your username and password. We do not collect information from this file, nor can allowing us to put this file on your computer give you a virus.

Previous versions of Internet Explorer allowed websites to automatically place "cookies" on your computer without your knowledge. This turned out to be a bad idea because many websites used the cookie feature to gather information about you, your browsing habits (where you go on the Internet), your computer, etc.  These kind of cookies are usually "permanent" cookies. The file stays on your computer and every time you log onto the Internet the cookie begins to send information to the website you visited.

The newest version of Internet Explorer (6.0) handles the "cookies" feature differently.  This is a good thing.  BUT . . . it also disables the "session only" cookies, which are usually used to allow you to log onto a website once a session instead of making you log in over and over.

There is a way to allow Barstow College to put the discussion group cookie on your computer. To do this:

Open Internet Explorer
Click on Tools
Click on Internet Options
A dialog box like the one below will then show up on your screen

To set your cookies you need to click the privacy tab as indicated by the mouse arrow in the picture above.  The dialog box will then look like this.  Now you need to click the "Advanced" button as shown below.

The dialog box will now look like this.

click inside the square next to override automatic cookie handling. Click inside the circle next to prompt for First and third party cookies.  This option will allow you to choose which cookies you accept. Click inside always allow session cookies. You may be surprised to find out how many websites are placing cookies on your computer.

We hope this tutorial has resolved your problem but if it has not we are always willing to help. Please email the webmaster@bcconline.com if you do not find the answer to your question in our tutorial area.