Q. Sometimes in order to print a coupon from the Internet, the download of a coupon printer is required. Is this a safe download? Or will I be installing spyware or worse on my computer? Is there a way to tell which ones may be safe and which ones to stay away from?

A. Coupons Inc. is a big name in the world of online coupons. These look like the same coupons you clip from newspapers. But in this case, you print them.

As you say, you can't just run them off on your computer. You have to download the printer software. Then you print the coupons from the Web site.

What else are you getting? According to the company's privacy policy, you get cookies. These are little text files that give you a number. The site and its clients thereafter know you as C39370, or whatever.

So what? On the site is a check box that says, "Remember me." If you check that, you get a cookie. When you return, your browser sends that cookie. Based on the information in that cookie, the site lets you in. That's a good thing, unless you enjoy filling out forms. Any site that requires registration probably will do the same.

It also plants tracking cookies, which say, basically, " C39370 was here, here and here." This is not a good thing, in my opinion. Advertisers don't know your name, at least from the tracking cookies. But they have an idea of your interests, based on the sites you visit.