Cookies are a little bit of code sent by a website to your web browser. The Pet Talk cookie sits on your computer, in some spot that you don't see, but your web browser (Safari in my case, Internet Explorer for some people, etc) does. It lets the computer know your username and password, and that you are "logged in."

Janelle, you don't stay logged in forever if you don;t hit the "log out" button, the BBS software will "log you out" if you are inactive for a period of time. But the "cookie" on your machine "logs you back in" whenever you come back to Pet Talk.