Rick Hurst Web Developer in Bristol, UK

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the internet is a real place

I read this article by bill thompson on the BBC site about the Amazon IPAQ price error, and while i’m not sure that I agree about that particular issue (I was always under the impression that pricing mistakes have to be honoured), the general theory behind the article is that the internet suffers from a perception problem, where the general public believe that it is an imaginary place where different rules apply.

Whilst there is some truth in the “alternative reality” of something like an online role playing game, the mundane reality of 90% of internet transactions is that it is as real as filling out a form in a post office or phoning up a travel agent. The scale and automation of the internet may make it easier to slip things through unnoticed, but there are people behind the scenes, and alarm bells will ring when people start to get silly about it…

Sorry to burst the bubble 😉