E-commerce? Online Purchases? Net Subscriptions? What comes to mind when I read and hear these words, is a convenient payment for purchases in which I expect delivery in 2 days. What do these new internet jargons really mean to the ordinary person or "netizen" (a person living a unique life and character when interacting in the world wide web)?

As for myself, my instant impressions of these concepts is to have the ability to exchange money for a product delivery: the ability to purchase. I think majority of us will see this now as an ordinary transaction in the internet, however the level of confidence in it is still low. We don't usually trust the transaction at once, simply because we are used to being served by real persons that we wish to get a hold on, when our purchases don't come as expected. We feel that when errors arise on our bank account statements, there won't be a smooth resolution to the dispute. But, isn't it when we buy products from our favourite stores unsatisfied, we are also in the dark on what to do; and we pressure them in heeding our complaints by, sometimes out of character, making a scene? It seems to me, our reluctance to do our purchases in the internet is really the helplessness we perceived to be in or the ignorance perhaps on the procedures we need to take when disputes arise.

Internet Purchases is actually the easiest to handle. We pay through the internet, get products delivered, use the product to our satisfaction, and re-order through the same website. Imagine a dispute on the payment and problems along these processes, how many entities are involve to whom you may call attention to? We may file a complaint directly to the website owner identifiable through the Uniform Recall Locator or URL Address, the manufacturer, the credit company or your bank, and the brand owner, all shall be witnesses to your transaction and working towards a happy resolve. Now, compare this to a purchase in a store, not knowing really the sales lady who was on the job casually that you hardly even noticed the colour of her dress that day, and the only proof you have for the dispute is the piece of slip that is supposed to be the official receipt; bringing along an opened packaged product that you need to prove to be defective. Worse, you have to prove that you are really the shopper who bought the other day by identifying the name and person on that slip you wish them to acknowledge.

In the world of the Internet, many are witnesses. We all have our unique identities, number codes on our being, creating a different us in a world so intertwined with the physical and the real. It shall be our tool in bringing everything connected knowing each one, cyber or virtual as they say, incorporated into our lives - Real or Netizen.