HTTP can occasionally pose problems for Web developers (Web Applications), because HTTP is [[stateless server|stateless]]. The advantage of a stateless protocol is that hosts don'tdo not need to retain information about users between requests, but this forces the use of alternative methods for maintaining users' state, for example, when a host would like to customize content for a user who has visited before. The common method for solving this problem involves the use of sending and requesting [[HTTP cookie|cookies]]. Other methods include server side sessions, hidden variables (when current page is a [[HTML form|form]]), and URL encoded parameters (such as <tt>index.php?userid=3</tt>).
