text: COOKIES POLICY - Customer & Technical Information on EU Directive
  The following provides information on Frames Online UK's policy on cookies, explaining what they are, and how they are used on this website .
  To be read in conjunction with our Terms & Conditions, and Privacy Policy, which includes information on the sites' general use, sales terms, and protection of customer data.
  Cookies are very simply a small piece of data, that is sent from a website onto a user's website browser. These are in the form of a small text file, and can be used to remember data such as remembering where you were when you last visited the site and what particularly interests you. They can't carry viruses, but can be used to remember site preferences.
  As a whole cookies are used to improve the customer user experience of visiting websites, and can be used to remember personal details (name etc.) on your computer, but only after these details are left. From the website owner perspective cookies can be used to present relevant information to users and to track (in the case of Google Analytics by way of example) site visitors habits. From the customer's perspective cookies can eliminate tediously repeating the same information and be treated more personally than an anonymous user.
  Internet cookies can be used maliciously, they can collect information surreptitiously, and can be used to bombard visitors with information and changes of computer settings that are not wanted. However, most cookies provide a useful service and can reduce tedium in web visiting. As an example the author appreciates the way sites like Amazon remembers items I looked at and presents similar items on future viewings.
  From a technical perspective their are two prime sorts of cookies, namely 'Session' referring to the visit the user is currently on, or 'Persistent' which means memorising data for the next visit. Also cookies may originate from the site visited named 'First Party Cookies' or by another website running content, such as banners on the site visited, hence 'Third Party Cookies'.
  Generally cookies enhance the web experience the majority of the time, some can be used maliciously but it is naive to believe that legislation such as the ' EU Cookie Directive' will have any useful effect. Users can control Cookies from their Web Browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome etc.), including blocking all cookies if required.
  The EU bureaucracy and their unelected leaders have decided to impose directives on member states regarding use of Cookies via their ePrivacy Directive (Directive 2009/136/EC). Datalite UK Ltd has enquired directly with the EU Commission to clarify their policy regarding Cookie's and Google Analytics, also to query why their own websites appear to disregard the own directive. Their reply whilst pointing this company to various regulations and organisations provided no useful clarification.
  Datalite UK Ltd's use of cookies is only in two areas: namely through its shopping cart and use of Google Analytics. As the shopping cart is 'strictly necessary for the functionality of the website and where that action is explicitly requested by the user' this is permitted within the ePrivacy Directive. Customers should be aware that the company also uses Google Analytics. Under International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) UK's Cooke Guide Google Analytics is classified as a Category 2 Performance Cookie. This is permitted without an 'opt in' as long as covered by 'Terms of Conditions' and hence 'Privacy Policy' and 'Cookies Policy'.
  In these recession times, Datalite considers this EU directive as disproportionate, inappropriate, and with potential to adversely effect Europe website's competitiveness in a global market. Europe and in particular Eurozone countries have enough problems without the EU adding further layers of bureaucracy, adversely affecting customers and website owners alike. The company conversely welcomes the pragmatic approach provided by the United Kingdom's International Chamber of Commerce to limit potential damage, and this company has aimed to be fully compliant with its guidance on use of cookies.
  A simpler solution to provide information to users regarding use of control Cookies, would have been to have included a simple one-off message on European versions of browsers such as Firefox and Internet Explorer. As it stands users are inundated with annoying nag boxes, pop-ups, and messages which proliferate European sites, as a result the author prefers to use United States or Oriental versions of sites when available. Unfortunately the EU bureaucracy does not appear to consider such matters, therefore Datalite UK Ltd apologises on behalf of the European Union for imposing a policy which directly reduces customer experience whilst visiting websites in an European Union member country. Needless to say, this policy will not have the slightest effect on website users that use Cookies for malicious purposes, or use a myriad of other techniques (which are not covered by the EU directive) to adversely affect web user's computers.
  Visitors should be aware that all popular browsers including Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Google Chrome contain options to switch off cookies. These may be excluded globally, or by permitting individual sites to use their Cookies.