Use of cookies

Information about our use of cookies.

Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

You can block cookies by activating the setting on your browser that allows you to refuse the setting of all or some cookies. However, if you use your browser settings to block all cookies (including essential cookies) you may not be able to access all or parts of our site.

What is a cookie?

A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we store on your browser or the hard drive of your computer. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer's hard drive. You can find more information about cookies at www.allaboutcookies.org and www.youronlinechoices.eu.

How do we use cookies?

We use the following cookies:

  • PHPSESSID
  • csrf_cookie_name
  • full_registration_required
  • Local storage
  • __utma, __utmb, __utmc, __utmt, __utmz

Further information about the individual cookies that we use and the purposes for which we use them is set out in the table below:

Cookie

Name

Purpose

More information

 PHPSESSID

PHP Session ID

This is used when a user signs in, to keep them signed in

http://www.php.net/manual/en/features.sessions.php

csrf_cookie_name

CSRF

This is used to prevent XSS attacks through input fields

https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/ref/contrib/csrf/

full_registration_required

Full Registration

This is used to check if the user has fully registered. It is what is used to display the message, prompting the user to complete their registration.

 

Local storage

Local storage

This is used to store the proposed discussion question. This is used when a user navigates away from the proposed discussion page before submitting the question. This data is cleared when they submit the question.

 

__utma, __utmb, __utmc, __utmt, __utmz

Google Analytics

These are cookies used by Google Analytics to track information on website.  

The cookies that we use will expire after the following time periods:

  • PHPSESSID: after the session ends
  • csrf_cookie_name: unlimited
  • full_registration_required: after the ‘x’ button is clicked
  • Local storage: after the user closes the browser
  • _utma: 2 years
  • _utmb: 30 minutes
  • _utmc: end of browser session
  • _utmt: 10 minutes
  • __utmz: 6 months

Please note that third parties (including, for example, advertising networks and providers of external services like web traffic analysis services) may also use cookies, over which we have no control. These cookies are likely to be analytical/performance cookies or targeting cookies.