fathom - 7:38 am on Feb 28, 2003 (gmt 0)

You're making sweeping generalizations about people and applying it to a technology.

My last comment was a "sweeping generalization"... and agree. I apologize for the comment, and as such removed it.

Overall... Technology cannot replace the real thing... "just like being there"... is not "being there". Thus each time that we (including me) attempt to trivalize the act of shopping, (by adding "clank" (sorry :)- into the shopping cart), where the real person can not actually touch, feel the texture, smell, taste and totally examine the product (at face value) the perception is often mis-interpreted.

A monitor, speakers, keyboard, and mouse, in conjunction with an applet, that is... just an applet is no less and no more than text and images.

An applet can show more clarity, but it's not better at selling.