h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Books, CDs, Videos
Second hand stuff through auction sites
Clothes, shoes
My weekly groceries from the supermarket
Organic vegetables from the farmer
Banking
Life, car and household insurance
Mortgage
Wine
Football, theatre, cinema and airline tickets
and probably other stuff I've forgotten about

Its more a case of what haven't I bought. I've moved over almost exclusively to on-line shopping. I honestly can't remember the last time I went shopping in town on a Saturday afternoon.

As for banners. Well they aren't all bad. Its thanks to a banner that I first found h2g2! I was randomly browsing from site to site using banners and all form of links and found the h2g2 banner. Clicked. And here I am

The current Economist has an article on this which says that most companies went under because customers were resistant to putting their credit card details on-line. "A handful of sites selling books,CDs, flights and holidays look as if they will survive" Interestingly they don't mention banking. I would happily bank on-line and set it up last time I was in UK, but for some unexplained reasonI can't access from here, which destroys the whole point of the exercise

Well, if you had something like an EGG-card it would be safer to be shopping on-line. But they went down recently didn't they?

One bad thing about on'line shopping is also the service. In some cases you can end up waiting over a month, only to be told they are currently out of stock. Also how many of you would buy a CD online if you had to wait two weeks to get it?

I think the only places that have chances of surviving are the specialty shops.

Most online shops that I've used state up-front how long delivery will take. If it's a standard item like a best-selling book or a popular CD or video, delivery is usually only a day or two. If it's something out of the ordinary, delivery takes longer, but that would be the case if you tried to get a shop to order it for you.

Yeah, but sometimes they're lying.

Lots of stuff, especially from second hand book and record stores. And tickets for gigs and hotle reservations.

I usually reserve items and then confirm by phone - i like to talk to a real person, and also to confirm i'm ordering the thing i think i am.

Hmmm...videos, oh and daft things like magic 8 balls, toy guns 'n' stuff

Lenny, what was the Orgasmatron like? I've dithered for months about getting one! and no it's not rude folks! honest!

The orgasmatron is very cool actually. It leaves a real tingling sensation that goes all the way to your feet. Its very relaxing and is probably great for stress. I recommend it! It makes a very unsual present too.

So if it is something that isn't rude, what is it then?

well, I shall try and explain in the medium of Words.

its a king of head masssagey-thing. It has eight copper prongs coming out of a small stick. The thing looks a bit spider-like actually. Its designed to fit over the head like a sort of mad-scientists contraption. The idea is you draw these copper prongs over the scalp which induces nice sensations. The copper is supposed to conduct energy. To be honest, there's a lot of nerves on the skin of the scalp and these respond well to the kind of 'strokin' action if you will.

I have nearly had a prong stray into my eye before but apart from that its v. safe. I have seen them on the net for sale by a company called Blue Snake, at the Fortean Time Unconvention and also on the streets of Edingburgh at Fringe time.

I hope this helps explain!

Have some tea...

I want one now!! I was after a "real" person to give me a review!

Firebox (featured on a BBC program about upcoming dot com companies) [think there's an address hidden somewhere there folks...GAAARGH!.... the Moderators are coming! the Moderators are coming!!...OK, OK I'm going! I'll get me coat... OW! don't push!...ahem] has been trying to flog them to me for aaages, but I've always resisted...but no more! I shall be orgasmatroning very soon..hurrah!

Oh you really must. I honestly think the world would be a better place if we all 'Orgasmatronned',

and of course I'm a 'real' person! There's none more real than I...

Come back Monday though...this may have changed.

See, Bluesnake is one of those specialty shops I talked about that could live off the Internet. Sadly they took ages to deliver my things, those that were delivered.

intriguing. I've never had a problem myself but then I've not ordered much from them. I was most disappointed they ran out of cuddly cthulus so quickly and never got any more in!!!! Now where else can you get them?

What, they have no more Cuddly Cthulus? That awful, I need one of those!

Everybody needs one! That's why I think the severe lack of them is a detrimental health hazard. There should be some sort of movement started.....sort this out!

Books, CDs, Banking, (including Egg - who haven't gone down so far as I know), airline tickets, train tickets, coach tickets, groceries, mousemats, a swiss army card, various gifts, in fact I did almost all of my Christmas shopping online in '99.

I still do a mix of telephone and online purchases, eg for airline tickets; but mainly because of wierd loops in the system, like not being able to buy SAS tickets via the Swedish website without a Swedish social security number.

Love Amazon and CD Now.

agcB

Hmmm lets see...
Games
Music CDs,
Books,
Videos and DVDs,
Grocery,
Train and coach tickets,
A CD ReWriter, Digital Camera and MP3 player.
In fact virtually anything except clothes (what a idea that is. I mean with clothes you want to be able to see what you look like in the outfit before you buy it, so I don't like catalogue shopping for clothes either).

I've got no hang-ups about buying stuff online, just as long as the site is reputable and uses at least 56bit secure encryption.

I only ever experienced one problem and that was with yahoo's shopping service. Needless to say I will never ever under any circumstances shop through them again.

I knew I had forgotten something from my list....Swiss Army Knife
Cheers agcB.