When surfing the net check out what happens to the address bar. When you first go to a web site it should display a simple URL ( Uniform Resource Locator) such as www.findthebestlocal.tripod.com.
However, you may notice that the address sometimes changes to some strange hieroglyphics such as www.findthebestlocal.tripod.com?name=bill&address=main+st&town=boston
This is generated when you fill out a form on a web page. The web site needs to pass on information you have entered from one page to another page. There are several methods that can accomplish this including cookies, session id's, user authentication, or the get method.
Cookies are a text file that is stored on your computer when you visit a site. The next time you visit the site, the web site will look for this cookie file and then be able to remember the information that you input previously.
A Session ID works in a similar fashion but the file itself is not stored on your computer but on the web site's computer. The SID only lasts as long as you are on that site.
User Authentication would involve you providing an ID and password. The web site application would then look up your information on a database.
Finally the Get Method involves appending the URL. Basically the information you entered is passed to another page by adding that information to the web address. The information looks very strange because certain characters such as spaces have to be translated to their Unicode equivalent.
So the next time you are on a Search Engine or filling out a Form try to pay attention to what?is=up.