What are small text files sent to your computer by websites called?

The correct answer is "Cookies" because cookies are small text files that are created by websites and stored on a user's computer. They are used to remember information about the user, such as login details, preferences, and browsing sessions. This helps enhance the user experience by allowing websites to recognize returning visitors, retain settings, and provide tailored content.

Cookies play a crucial role in web functionality by facilitating processes like user authentication and session management, which would be cumbersome without them. They improve website efficiency and help in tracking user behavior for analytics.

The other terms provided in the options represent different concepts in technology. Web logs refer to files that record events and activity related to a web server or a user’s browsing, not the small text files themselves. Data packets refer to the formatted units of data carried over a network, unrelated to the storage of user preferences or identifiers. Cookies alerts are notifications that inform users when a site uses cookies, but do not accurately describe the cookies themselves. This distinction makes "Cookies" the most accurate answer to the question.