Your comments:

"I think online shopping is great. I would not do all my shopping that way, but the ability to shop online has been useful. Just the other day after returning from the mall I was able to find an ornament someone wanted online. The store that sells these ornaments at the mall was all out, but the online version of the store wasn't. I was very happy." D.R., Middletown

"Don't you know that your own downtown needs your dollars? I think the Internet is a wonderful innovation; you can download the entire Encyclopedia Britannica for $5.00 a month ... but if people would shop in their own towns, your towns would be so much better. Think globally, buy locally." A.K., Willimantic

"Online shopping is similar to the old Sears and Roebuck catalog shopping. It was good as long as the price of the item plus shipping was below retail price at the nearby store. Another idea that makes shopping online promising is finding hard-to-get items. Also, you can separate yourself from the shopping quickly and do other things. It's a fad, or something new and exciting. People are working for you, and you are paying them with your purchase." Ron, Colchester

"I shopped online to buy groceries recently. I went to the local physical building to gather my articles and even the manager couldn't understand reimbursement policy! I ended up having to pay again and get back to a phone and work through the web site. I do not like to have to pay two or three times for the same article! Its bad enough that we have to do it with taxation ... tax upon tax upon tax ad infinitem." Pat, Meriden

"When I shop online, it is and has been mostly for books, but I always do so with a modicum of guilt and regret. I have a favorite bookstore, The Corner Book Store in Winsted, which has a tough enough time competing with Borders of the world. Now the Internet bookstores can undersell practically everyone in a significant enough way to make purchasing books, for me at least, significantly less expensive. I'm certain we would lose more than a physical place to go to were independent booksellers to be driven out of business. For that reason alone, I continue to patronize my favorite store." J.B.H., Norfolk

"I'm ten. I can't legally purchase anything over the web anyway." The Goose, Storrs

"I would shop online if there was alternatives to credit cards. I do not believe that the credit card transaction is completely safe online at this point. I can not take a chance on using it right now. Even in my business, web design -- sesran.com (free plug) I do not offer online credit card sales cause I do not trust them. If I can't trust it for me, how can I expect my clients to trust it? Maybe someday, but not today." Sesran, Naugatuck

"This year I bought almost all my Christmas gifts online, while my wife braved the malls. I tried going out to the malls at first, but was frustrated by the fact that most stores are not staffed properly, and the staff that they have isn't very helpful. This is not the case in every store, but in most of the ones I dealt with. Shopping online was easy, most websites gave very good information on what I was purchasing, and everything was delivered in a very timely fashion. I even had one place call me to make sure I received my order. I also found better pricing online than in the stores. So, all in all, it was much less stressful and I saved some money." J.A.M., Torrington

"I think most people are afraid of trying something new and different. I think if they just give it a try they would find it fun,easy,and time saving." Pam, Shelton