Technology terms explained

Web cache

Web caching is the storing of internet pages on your computer.  Cached webpages mean that when you revisit websites you have been to before, your computer does not have to freshly download fixed images and text on the site.  This saves your computer time when you are surfing, but means that sites you have visited can pop-up on your computer when you don’t want them to.

Web history

Web history is a folder saved on your computer which stores a record of all of the sites that your computer has visited to whilst online.

Cookies

On your first visit to a website a cookie leaves a small piece of computer code on your computer which identifies you to the website when you revisit it.  This gives the website information about your online habits and how you came to visit their site.  Although they are not dangerous to your computer, they are stored by your computer and leave a trail of all the places you have visited online.

Auto-complete

This works a bit like predictive text. When you are inputting a search term or web address to your computer it guesses what you are going to search for based on things that you inputted in the past.  This instantly reveals sites that you have visited before to anyone using your computer or looking over your shoulder when you are searching the web.