Comfort Level with Online Shopping

There are various things on the internet that are on the web for the better or worse of the technology. Like most people security is a big issue. You want to be on a website that you know is reliable and is not going to take advantage of your information. As an online consumer there are many things that I do not feel comfortable sharing online or even buying for that matter.
One is the amount I am paying for certain items. If the price just does not seem to fit the product that I am buying, either extremely cheap or just over priced I tend to stay away from those products, especially if it is through a site that I am not familiar with. I also don’t spend more than a certain amount on the web. Usually with larger purchases, I feel that seeing it physically and knowing that I am getting my money’s worth is important.

I also wouldn’t buy a product online if the return policy is wayyy to over complicating or if they just don’t have one. I don’t want to end up being forced to like a product that I don’t like or misrepresented on the site.

Over the years and through many purchases online, I have to say that I feel fairly comfortable with buying almost anything online. It is mostly the convenience that keeps bringing me back to the same sites (i.e. Amazon) over and over again. Compared to the very first time I made a purchase online with my credit card in hand and debating the security of the entire process to now, where it feels like another swipe of the card in a store. Who knows how much more risky it is to shop online versus going somewhere where they take your card to swipe. I am pretty sure they can steal your card number the same way as well…

The Invasion of Privacy

What is up with Intelius! I have to say I am not a fan of this website at all. First of all if you’re going to put up people’s information make sure it is correct! I am still in shock about the amount and type of information that anyone can obtain about another person. The way that these different types of websites can virtually summarize someone’s past and present life is crazy.

It makes you wonder, what does privacy mean these days? Things that you would expect to keep private in your life can become public in an instance with just a click of a mouse. When doing a vanity search on yourself on various search engines like Google, yahoo, msn, etc you may not find something on one website and when you go to another than bam! All this information pops up about you. The worse part is that you have no control of what goes on the internet, because it can be done without you even knowing for years or ever.

So how do we protect ourselves from information that we don’t want out in the open world? Do we stay secluded in our homes? Do we create more rules and regulations to protect us? Who knows, the only thing we can do for now, is just be conscious of the choices we make that we hope that won’t affect us later in the future.

The Diminishing Newspaper

These days it seems that we can find practically anything on the web and that includes the news. The purpose of the newspaper is to inform us of the things going on around the world, but now with the advanced technology available it does just that. So whats the purpose of the actual newspaper that prints in the morning and a paperboy comes along and throws it at your front door, when the news is right there in your own home already? Personally, I believe that eventually there will be no need for this physical newspaper that eventually piles up at work or at home. Why waste all this paper printing this information that is probable old news by the time you get it? Most newspaper have an online version that is updated every minute to keep you connected with the world, and offers great animated graphics along with an article at times; for us slower people :) In today's society, pretty much everyone has some type of portable device that they carry with them and on that device they could have the internet right at their disposal. The convenience and accessibility of online news has allowed anyone to view it at anytime, just like the actual newspaper, except this one can be found for free!!! So why not save a few bucks and some trees and just read it online at work, home, anywhere with wifi. So step into the modern world of news reporting!