People visibly quiver—if one can do that over an electronic hookup—at the prospect of charging a purchase online.

"Oh, no—I can't use a credit card to pay. My company prohibits charging on the Internet" said a woman in the Philippines. "I'll have to send you a check." (Has she not heard of "going postal"?)

An acquaintance, trying to charge (via America Online) for purchase of a $24.97 Limited Edition Sid Cato T-shirt, received so startling an on-screen admonition he was in a minor state of shock when he called me. "I think someone's broken into your website!" he said, trying to remain calm.

Said yet another person: "You'd never catch me charging something over the Internet. Do I look dumb?"

No—just overly concerned, in one man's seldom-humble opinion.

Let me explain:

On establishing this website (www.sidcato.com), I insisted that security warnings be tempered. I'm convinced you're safer charging via the Internet than carrying cash on Chicago's magnificent Michigan Boulevard. Or, certainly, along one of the city's light-deprived Near North streets.

Also, how many times have you given your credit card to a total stranger—with nary a twinge of concern? Your server in a restaurant returns minutes later, but do you have palpitations? Of course not.

Why am I so confident concerning using the Internet as a vehicle for financial transactions? And when's the last time YOU demanded the carbon copies when charging a purchase?

First, in the years (since April 26, 1996) my website has been in existence, dozens of individuals and corporations have charged services safely—companies from Mexico to Singapore to Switzerland, South Africa, Australia and Malaysia.

Second, I take considerable solace from Sun Systems' Scott McNealy. Sun's CEO told delegates (in pre-recorded comments) to S.W.I.F.T.'s annual Sibos banking and financial industry conference in Sydney, Australia, Oct. 9, 1997, the following:

"A lot of people are concerned about security on the Internet.

"I always say, well, what do you do with your bank statements and your checks today? You put them on a piece of paper in native language, unencrypted, you fold it up, put it in a paper-thin envelope, seal it with some spit, and you give it to the local government to deliver to some tin box with a tin door, no lock, on a publicly available street within three days, maybe, if we're lucky.

"And yet we're worried about sending electronic transactions over the Internet?"

This drew a good laugh from the 2,000-plus financial industry delegates.

It should.