Advantages of Not Deleting Your Internet Browsing History

All over the internet there are numerous websites and articles dedicated to tutorials on how to delete browsing history from your computer. There are even software products created specifically for deleting internet browsing history from computers. Only a few of these websites or articles bother to tell you why they advocate clearing your browsing record and virtually none of them tell what you may be losing when you delete your history.

Browsing history is made up of the record of the following:

- Websites visited

- Files downloaded

- Cookies and other site data

- Saved passwords

- Saved form data

- Web cache

- Search history

- Authenticated web sessions

Each and every one of the components of your history has benefits which is why internet browsers are programmed to store them.

Benefits of Having a Browsing History

Faster Loading Times:

Whenever you visit a website, your web browser stores certain data from the site in its cache. Next time you visit the site or page, your browser reuses the stored information and therefore, does not have to send requests over your connection to load every item on the site. This results in web pages that load faster.

Decreased Internet Data Consumption:

The internet browser's reuse of stored data in its cache also leads to reduced usage of your data allowance. This happens because the browser already has a store of data that it does not have to load again.

Remembered preferences:

Most websites place a cookie on your computer whenever you visit any of their pages. These cookies allow them to identify you either as first-time visitor or as a returning user. For a returning user, if you have set options for a particular site such as a certain landing page or a webpage skin, the cookie enables the site to remember you as such and then load your preferences.

Easy login

Saved login information such as user names and passwords spare you the hassle of having to type them in each time you visit the website. Your internet browser can store login information across multiple sites and thus, you do not have to memorize passwords for all the websites that you visit. Your browser also stores authenticated web sessions. This is why you do not have to login again when you visit a site that requires a password if you have not logged out.

Easily Find Information

Your records such as websites visited, downloaded files and search history can allow you to easily obtain information. For example, if you visited a site in the past and need to access it again but cannot remember the web address, a quick search through your history of websites visited will provide what you need.

Submit Data Easily

Saved form data allows you to fill forms once on the internet and reuse them whenever you need to. This saves you from entering general information like your name and address every time you want to submit forms online. All you have to do is edit appropriate fields relevant to the current purpose.

Targeted Advertising

Some advertisers use cookies to track your internet usage habits and thus, provide you with relevant advertising. If you are looking to be presented with ads that match your interest while you surf the internet, then having cookies on your computer is a good idea. Cookies are not malware and cannot damage your computer.