A newbie who needs info will go to a search engine. I even cut my teeth working at a very successful search engine site, 4anything.com (http://4anything.com). These sights are great, especially for newbies. But what about experts?

An expert who needs critical info (Which anti virus program won't take over my computer and be worse than an actual infection? Will this video card be compatible with my motherboard? Linux or Windows 2000 Professional, please help?) might do is to bypass hit and mostly miss search engines and go directly to newsgroups, and ask their question and hold their breath waiting for an answer (which might take minutes or days, depending on whether busy experts feel like answering it).

But here's what a "Meta" Expert would do. He/She would go to deja.com, click on usenet link and type their query, such as name of their video card and name of their motherboard, and chances are (very good, actually) that some other desperate soul--who has suffered a thousand crashes and cursed a thousand Gates--has already asked same question, and several "experts" have already come to their aid with relevant answers. All you have to do is find a thread which looks good, click on "view thread" link and bingo, you've struck an information mother lode where you can peruse a whole thread (crosslinked history of a discussion), filled with tips from stone cold experts in that particular field. People who LIVE for motherboards. Believe me, they're out there.

You're at top of Food Chain now, Baby!

Two years ago, I was afraid to open up my computer and install an internal Zip Drive. Now, I'm a bios flashing, hard drive partitioning, motherboard overclocking hoodlum with three entirely home built, networked systems, strapped with 200 gigabytes of storage space, processing and pumping out dogumentary dogudrama video for masses.

Broadcast.com, eat my shorts. I take that back, maybe we can be partners some day? C'mon, gimmie a break here, I'm just trying to sell an article? Go Mavs!

Now I even have Hollywood sites like LOADTV (http://loadtv.com) contacting me, thinking I'm a big company, asking me to provide content for them.

I couldn't have become such an info SuperStar alone. Sure, being talented and born for it helps, but I still could not have done it without help of experts around world, at my beck and call, free for consulting, 24 hrs. a day, on Deja News. Instead of sifting through infoglut, rise above it and study people at precipice of edifice, yes those who have already been there, done that, and distilled it for you. The Experts.

I do not advocate that there is not a problem with some transmissions of personal and confidential information over Internet. However, if purchasing public were made aware of fact that there is a safe, secure facility that reputable sites use, chances are that confidence in this vast market may begin to develop.

Things to look for in a website that sell a product over Internet.

1. Secure website trading. A padlock in bottom right of payment page. 2. The Link ink to secure payment page should be prefixed with an 'S' i.e. shtml:// rather than just html:// 3. Is there information about bank, who's facilities are used on website? If website is a reputable one, then there is generally a link to, or information about Merchant Bank that Web Company is in partnership with. 4. Do not be afraid to ask either website owner or merchant bank for more information about their facilities. If information is slow in coming or does not come at all, do not make your purchase.

With Internet 'BOOM' fizzling out to a muffled 'bang'! Now is a good time to place bad press and misinformation to one side. Purchasing over Internet can be safe as long as you take care and heed danger signs.