Important Note: The Member's section of Find a Crew™ requires the use of per-session cookies. Per-session cookies are required to confirm your login between pages. If you have specifically turned cookies off in your browser, you will need to reconfigure your browser to accept cookies or you will not be able to log on to Find a Crew™.

NO. A cookie is a simple piece of text. It is not a program, or a plug-in. It cannot be used as a virus, and it cannot access your hard drive. Your browser (not a programmer) can save cookie values to your hard disk if it needs to, but that is the limit of the effect on your system.

Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera all allow some level of cookie verification. They have menu options that allow you to accept all, some, or none of your incoming cookies. In addition, the "warn before accepting" feature is present, if you want to screen your incoming cookies.

In Google Chrome, go to the Tools > Options > Under the Hood menu. Your cookie choices can be changed there.

In Firefox, go to the Tools > Options > Privacy menu. Your cookie choices can be changed there.

Microsoft has changed their approach to cookies over the last 3 versions of their browser. This is a reflection of how cookies have been thrust into the limelight of privacy on the Internet:

• In IE 6+, IE7+ & IE8, go to the Tools > Internet Options > Privacy menu. There are also features for the Advanced user, if you'd like to have a greater control over cookies.
• In IE 5+, go to the Tools > Internet Options > Security menu. In there, you can choose the security level for 4 different browsing conditions: Internet Sites, Local Sites, "Trusted" Sites, and Restricted Sites. If you select "Internet," and click on Custom Level, you'll get a dialog box where you can accept all, warn before accepting, or reject all cookies.
• In IE 4+, go to the View > Internet Options > Advanced menu. There you can accept all, warn before accepting, or reject all.
   

A possibility is that you may be running software that interferes with cookie usage. There are many filtering and blocking software packages available for Internet users these days, and many of them also filter cookies. If you are running software like this, then your computer may not receive or send cookies. This will cause sites you visit to assume you are not accepting cookies.

Another possibility is that your machine may be behind a firewall or proxy server that prevents cookie transmission. This is most likely in a corporate environment. So, regardless of how your browser is set, cookies won't be sent or received by your browser. Since the cookies aren't making it through to your browser, the Web Site will assume you personally aren't accepting them.