Cookies aren't all that bad.

Internet cookies, I mean. The kind left behind by browsers to keep track of information.

Cookies are what make it possible to create customizable and personalizable web interfaces. Wouldn't it be nice to have an interface modeled just for you? Everyone has their own preferences and tastes. With a customizable interface, you can do just that. And a happy surfer is a happy friend, father, mother, brother, sister, etc.

Problem is, a few bad caramel nuggets have spoiled the whole candy bar. The over-exaggerated hype of these bad nuggets hasn't helped either.

Put that aside for a moment and consider a world where things are tailor-made just for you. A happy-go-luck world where everything matches your interests, not what some faceless marketing manager believes your interests to be.

And expand this to every walk of life. Television. Grocery shopping. Education. Driving.

They've already got magazines in this category, more or less. Magazines have different ads depending upon where you live. The subscribers in Utah won't see the same ads the subscribers in New York will.

How about the other walks of life? Let's start with television.

Imagine turning on the TV and seeing it set to a channel you want to watch. This may not necessarily be the last channel you were watching before. Perhaps it's time for The Simpsons. You turn on the TV at 8:00 PM and, regardless of the last channel you were on, the TV automatically flips to The Simpsons.

During the show, ads for products and services that you really enjoy appear. If you don't need a car, no car ads will show up. If you're male, no feminine hygiene ads will show up ("Ever get that not-so-fresh feeling?").

Now imagine going to the local Walmart or Walgreens. You pick up a computerized coupon booklet with items that you want or need. Already finished your laundry detergent shopping? Then those coupons won't clutter the booklet. Looking for some ice cream? A few coupons from Ben & Jerry's and Häagen-Daz are included.

How about education? A teacher can begin by teaching the whole class the basics of geometry. Then a computer can help hone those skills at each student's own pace—faster for some, slower for others. The computer wouldn't replace the teacher, because he/she would have to guide each student through this individualized path and help with questions a computer can't answer. In short, education would become more personalizable than simply placing broad ranges of students into tracks.

Of course, there are many educational applications that do this already. It's just up to the education system to try a more individualistic process of teaching students now. And I strongly believe in a change in our schooling system.

Now let's talk about driving. You've probably already heard of computers in cars and how they can show you traffic patterns, weather patterns, and different routes to your destination. Take that one step further and you can have the computer remember which paths you prefer. You could program the car to automatically take your specified path and drive there on it's own while you sit back and relax.

Low on gas? No problem, the computer can remember which gas stations you prefer, which type of gas you require, and how much gas is needed. Hungry? Press a "Hungry" button and your car can drive you over to your favorite drive-thru.

I haven't made any huge strides of imagination here. All of this is pretty darn possible today. The infrastructure to carry this out just isn't in place yet.

And that's all cookies really are. A way to give you a customizable interface.

So embrace your cookie. Touch your cookie. Taste your cookie. Be one with your cookie.

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