What is a cookie?

A cookie is a tiny piece of text which asks permission to be placed on your computer's hard drive.  When you agree (often done automatically) your browser adds a small piece of text to a hidden file.

If you have your browser configured to notify you when your computer is being asked to accept a cookie, you will notice that the purpose of a cookie is to let us know when you have visited our site.  This cookie only enables us to note that a previous visitor has returned.  Cookies placed on your computer by Ray Padula are in no way, shape, or form, personally identifying cookies.

Why are cookies persistent?

If our web server does not detect a unique ID for your session, it will generate one for you automatically.  If you accept our cookie, you will only be asked to accept it once.  If you keep denying our cookie, you will be asked to accept it every time you visit a new RayPadula.com page.

Are all cookies the same?

No.  There are two forms of cookies; temporary (or session) cookies, and permanent cookies.  Temporary cookies are necessary to maintain the user session, and simply tell our server that someone has visited.  A permanent cookie allows for personalization and personal information to be recognized.  Permanent cookies are not used on RayPadula.com (except for registering for MyRP).

What does a cookie do for me, the site visitor?

There are several immediate advantages on RayPadula.com that you can see through the use of our cookies.  For example, when you are browsing our online store, you can add items to your cart and return days later to purchase them (the cookie will re-load the shopping cart contents on your next visit).

Also, special offers from ad banners, and special access to java sections of the site are only viewable/ accessible after our cookie is placed on your computer.  Overall, cookies were designed to make website viewing faster, and to provide an overall better viewing experience.

Ray Padula also reads cookie statistics (number of visitors) to see which pages are most frequently visited by customers and what pages are hardly read.

Why do I need to know this?

We want you to know why we ask you to accept a cookie.  We want you to be sure that accepting a cookie from us does not in any way give us access to your computer or personal information.  We know that there are a lot of concerns about cookies, and as a customer we respect your concerns.

• Security - an overview of the measures in place to keep you safe on RayPadula.com.

• Privacy Policy - policies regarding your privacy on RayPadula.com.

• Encryption - learn how your personal information is kept safe during transmission to RayPadula.com.

• Copyright - copyrighted material notice.

• The Current Ray Padula Privacy Policy (PDF - 111 KB)