I have beef.

I work for a publishing company that does a lot of internet interactions. We send out emails to our members and we have several websites. All of which are secure and trustworthy. If you buy something from us you will get it, your credit card number is encrypted and no one can ever see it.

So here is my beef. I honestly have gotten 100s of emails from people who begin to sign up for something (which clearly costs money to be a member of) and freak out when they are asked to enter credit card information... How were you expecting to pay lady?!? Then I get these self righteous emails proclaiming that they never give out their credit card information to anyone on the internet... Well! Good for you!

Here is the flip side of that: we have a pay by check option. But they get an email and a phone call telling them that their service will not start until we receive their check... How can we operate a business this way? (By not giving you something for nothing perhaps?)

I am really sick of people who intentionally paralyze themselves with their fear of technology. Do you bank online? Do you pay bills online? Guess what?! And you know who else has all of your information on the internet? Your credit card company... yeah. Sorry people, they are far too big to house information in files in some elaborate maze of cabinets in an underground vault. (could you imagine THAT job? ... Gotta get the file... there it is... approved...)

So what I am really saying is... IF you choose to cut yourself off from 90% of the world (In other words, shopping, bill pay, research, services found on the internet for purchase) that is entirely your problem and please don't complain to me when you decide that your credit card number is too important to be encrypted and charged through a system of wires and tubes.
*twitch*