var caution = false

   // name - name of the cookie
   // value - value of the cookie
   // [expires] - expiration date of the cookie
   // (defaults to end of current session)
   // [path] - path for which the cookie is valid
   // (defaults to path of calling document)
   // [domain] - domain for which the cookie is valid
   // (defaults to domain of calling document)
   // [secure] - Boolean value indicating if
   // the cookie transmission requires a secure transmission
   // * an argument defaults when it is assigned null as a placeholder
   // * a null placeholder is not required for trailing omitted arguments
   
   function setCookie(name, value, expires, path, domain, secure) {
      var curCookie = name + "=" + escape(value) +
         ((expires) ? "; expires=" + expires.toGMTString() : "") +
         ((path) ? "; path=" + path : "") +
         ((domain) ? "; domain=" + domain : "") +
         ((secure) ? "; secure" : "")
      if (!caution || (name + "=" + escape(value)).length <= 4000)
         document.cookie = curCookie
      else
         if (confirm("Cookie exceeds 4KB and will be cut!"))
            document.cookie = curCookie
   }

   // name - name of the cookie
   // * return string containing value
   // of specified cookie or null if cookie
   // does not exist
   function getCookie(name) {
      var prefix = name + "="
      var cookieStartIndex = document.cookie.indexOf(prefix)
      if (cookieStartIndex == -1)
         return null
      var cookieEndIndex = document.cookie.indexOf(";", cookieStartIndex +
         prefix.length)
      if (cookieEndIndex == -1)
         cookieEndIndex = document.cookie.length
      return unescape(document.cookie.substring(cookieStartIndex +
         prefix.length,
   cookieEndIndex))
   }

   // name - name of the cookie
   // [path] - path of the cookie
   // (must be same as path used to create cookie)
   // [domain] - domain of the cookie
   // (must be same as domain used to create cookie)
   // * path and domain default if assigned
   // null or omitted if no explicit argument proceeds
   function deleteCookie(name, path, domain) {
      if (getCookie(name)) {
         document.cookie = name + "=" +
         ((path) ? "; path=" + path : "") +
         ((domain) ? "; domain=" + domain : "") +
         "; expires=Thu, 01-Jan-70 00:00:01 GMT"
      }
   }

   // date - any instance of the Date object
   // * you should hand all instances of the
   // Date object to this function for "repairs"
   // * this function is taken from
   // Chapter 14, "Time and Date in JavaScript", in
   // "Learn Advanced JavaScript Programming"
   function fixDate(date) {
      var base = new Date(0)
      var skew = base.getTime()
      if (skew > 0)
         date.setTime(date.getTime() - skew)
   }

   var now = new Date()
   fixDate(now)
   now.setTime(now.getTime() + 365 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000)
   var visits = getCookie("counter")
   if (!visits)
      visits = 1
   else
      visits = parseInt(visits) + 1
   setCookie("counter", visits, now)