This page discusses how cookies are used by this site. If you continue to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your computer by your web browser at the request of a site you’re viewing. This allows the site you’re viewing to remember things about you, such as your preferences and history, or to keep you logged in.
Cookies may be stored on your computer for a short time (such as only while your browser is open) or for an extended period of time, even years. Cookies not set by this site will not be accessible to us.
Our cookie usage
This site uses cookies for numerous things, including:
- Registration and maintaining your preferences. This includes ensuring that you can stay logged in and keeping the site in the language or appearance that you requested.
- Analytics. This allows us to determine how people are using the site and improve it.
- Advertising cookies (possibly third-party). If this site displays advertising, cookies may be set by the advertisers to determine who has viewed an ad or similar things. These cookies may be set by third parties, in which case this site has no ability to read or write these cookies.
- Other third-party cookies for things like Facebook or Twitter sharing. These cookies will generally be set by the third-party independently, so this site will have no ability to access them.
Additional cookies and those set by third parties
Additional cookies may be set during the use of the site to remember information as certain actions are being performed, or remembering certain preferences.
Other cookies may be set by third-party service providers which may provide information such as tracking anonymously which users are visiting the site, or set by content embedded into some pages, such as YouTube or other media service providers.
Removing/disabling cookies
Managing your cookies and cookie preferences must be done from within your browser’s options/preferences. Here is a list of guides on how to do this for popular browser software:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Microsoft Edge
- Mozilla Firefox
- Google Chrome
- Safari for macOS
- Safari for iOS
More information about cookies
- A number of websites provide detailed information on cookies, including AboutCookies.org and AllAboutCookies.org.
- The European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance website Your Online Choices allows you to install opt-out cookies across different advertising networks.
- Google has developed a browser add-on to allow users to opt-out of Google Analytics across all websites that use it. This is also available in the Chrome web store.
- Some browsers include a feature known as ‘Do Not Track’ or DNT. This allows you to indicate a preference that websites should not track you. However, whilst DNT is available in many browsers, websites are not required to recognize its request, so it may not always work. You can get help on how to use DNT in Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Opera.
- Internet Explorer has a feature called Tracking Protection Lists which allows you to import a list of websites you want to block.
- For more information on how private browsing works as well as its limitations, visit the support pages for your browser: Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari (mobile and desktop), and Opera.
Standard cookies we set
| Name | Purpose |
| Essential cookies | |
| These cookies are required to enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may not reject these. | |
| xf___crossTab | This local storage item is used to store information used to communicate across tabs, such as the current cross-site request forgery token. |
| xf_cacheKey | This local storage item is used to store the cache key used for offline storage items. |
| xf_consent | This cookie is used to store a user’s cookie consent preferences. |
| xf_csrf | This cookie is used to store a user’s cross-site request forgery token, preventing other applications from making malicious requests on the user’s behalf. |
| xf_dbWriteForced | This cookie is used to indicate that the request should be completed using the write-only database server. |
| xf_editorDisabled | This local storage item is used to store whether or not a user has the rich text editor enabled. |
| fr-copied-html | This local storage item is used to store a user’s copied rich text when pasting into the text editor. |
| fr-copied-text | This local storage item is used to store a user’s copied plain text when pasting into the text editor. |
| xf_guestUsername | This local storage item is used to store a guest user’s username. |
| xf_inline_mod_* | These cookies are used to store a user’s currently selected inline moderation items. |
| xf_language_id | This cookie is used to store a user’s selected language. |
| xf_lbSidebarDisabled | This local storage item is used to store whether or not a user has toggled the lightbox sidebar. |
| xf_ls | This cookie is used to store a user’s local storage contents in the event their browser does not support the native local storage mechanism. |
| xf_multiQuote* | These local storage items are used to store a user’s multi-quote selections. |
| xf_notice_dismiss | This cookie is used to store a user’s dismissed notices. |
| xf_push_history_user_ids | This local storage item is used to store which users on this device have enabled push notifications. |
| xf_push_notice_dismiss | This cookie is used to determine whether or not a user has dismissed the push notification notice. |
| xf_push_subscription_updated | This cookie is used to determine if a user’s push subscription preferences have been updated. |
| xf_session | This cookie is used to store a user’s session identifier. |
| xf_style_id | This cookie is used to store a user’s selected style. |
| xf_tfa_trust | This cookie is used to determine if a user has previously chosen to trust this device without requiring further two-step verification for a period of time. |
| xf_toggle | This cookie and local storage item are used to store a user’s preferences for toggling various controls open or closed. |
| xf_user | This cookie is used to store a user’s “remember me” token, allowing their credentials to persist across multiple sessions. |
| xf_visitorCounts | This local storage item is used to store counts of a user’s unread conversations and alerts. |
Optional cookies
| We deliver enhanced functionality for your browsing experience by setting these cookies. If you reject them, enhanced functionality will be unavailable. | |
| xf_emoji_usage | This cookie is used to store which emojis a user has recently used when composing a message. |
| xf_from_search | This cookie is used to track when a user has arrived on the site from a search engine. |
Third-party cookies
| Cookies set by third parties may be required to power functionality in conjunction with various service providers for security, analytics, performance or advertising purposes. | |
| Apple Music | These cookies are set by Apple Music, and may be used for displaying embedded content. |
| Dailymotion | These cookies are set by Dailymotion, and may be used for displaying embedded content. |
| These cookies are set by Facebook, and may be used for displaying embedded content. | |
| Flickr | These cookies are set by Flickr, and may be used for displaying embedded content. |
| Giphy | These cookies are set by Giphy, and may be used for displaying embedded content. |
| Imgur | These cookies are set by Imgur, and may be used for displaying embedded content. |
| These cookies are set by Instagram, and may be used for displaying embedded content. | |
| Meta | These cookies are set by Meta, and may be used for displaying embedded content. |
| These cookies are set by Pinterest, and may be used for displaying embedded content. | |
| These cookies are set by Reddit, and may be used for displaying embedded content. | |
| SoundCloud | These cookies are set by SoundCloud, and may be used for displaying embedded content. |
| Spotify | These cookies are set by Spotify, and may be used for displaying embedded content. |
| Stripe | These cookies are set by Stripe, and may be used for processing payments. |
| TikTok | These cookies are set by TikTok, and may be used for displaying embedded content. |
| Tumblr | These cookies are set by Tumblr, and may be used for displaying embedded content. |
| Twitch | These cookies are set by Twitch, and may be used for displaying embedded content. |
| These cookies are set by Twitter, and may be used for displaying embedded content. | |
| Vimeo | These cookies are set by Vimeo, and may be used for displaying embedded content. |
| YouTube | These cookies are set by YouTube, and may be used for analytics, verifying legitimate traffic, or other embedded content. |