Sticking Safari cookies but they are not there in Web Inspector

Question

Hi,
Now I’ve got the Safari 5.1.10 update (OS X 10.6.8) and still have the same problem as with several versions before, I think it’s even worse now:
When surfing I’m used to “Safari / Reset Safari…” (with all options set to delete but website icons) to start from scratch from time to time.
This will delete cookies and local cache, too, although it’s not clearly mentioned (?).
My start page is google.co.uk and checking with the “Privacy” tab I usually see three items from Google.
I think that would be OK.
But:
a) Sometimes there are still cookies / cache from sites that I have visited before,
and
b) Sometimes even after Privacy / “Remove All”
(Cookies.plist is empty and Safari/LocalStorage folder is deleted now)
and another Safari “Reset” some will return (e.g wikipedia.org, Local Storage, but also cookies from news or amazon or local storage use by apple.com).
When I check using the Web Inspector / Resources there are no such elements to find, only from Google - but the “Preferences / Privacy” tab seems to know about them and they are back in Cookies.plist and Safari / LocalStorage ???
c) Sometimes (I know, that’s bad), even when I reset + close Safari, open an other application, start Safari again - bang, several items (often more than before) are listed there but only Google is to be seen in the Web Inspector (screenshot 1).
d) After closing the Web Inspector and “Remove All” I start the Web Inspector again, just to see e.g. a “cookie folder” from Google but it’s stating “This site has no cookies” (screenshot 2), and there are none in Safari. How would the Web Inspector know about google cookies (or local storage), only to show an empty “folder”?
I really love Safari, I’d simply like to “flush” it from time to time when surfing.
1) Is it my misunderstanding of Safari cookies / cache? Or the Web Inspector’s display?
2) Why only “sometimes” (this point is most annoying)?
3) How could I dig deeper (but I’m not a techie ! ), or
4) Is this a known bug since years (Safari and / or Web Inspector), I didn’t find a similar topic here in the forums?
Thank you for reading this lengthy and probably confusing stuff,
Sancho

Answer 1

@Carolyn:
Yes, I did search before but restricted it to the past month, because I had the feeling that it’s worse now since the update to 5.1.10, but I may be wrong.
It seems this is an old and unsolved common problem.
@andy:
“Top Sites” is hot, but I’ve never used that funny dots without any mouse-over text.
After deleting (before starting Safari)  it’s restored by a default TopSites.plist, it seems these cookies
- are only reloaded when viewing the Top Sites (?)
- are not among my reappearing cookies, I have never seen such a cookie / cache on my system before (e.g. expedia, orbitz, monster, usatoday, disney, craigslist).
And Top Sites would not explain why the Web Inspector has different infos regarding use of cookies and local storage than Safari’s “Privacy” tab.
After playing with deleting TopSites.plist, without surfing, suddenly I have ”121 cookies or other data” at Safari’s Privacy tab, nearly all are listed as “Cache” or “Cache, Cookies” but the Web Inspector doesn’t show any of them, only my google.co.uk items.
---> Thanks, I’ll send a feedback to Apple.