Poll reveals connected readers have been shopping online for years

Not surprisingly, readers of this column are proving to be a very connected collection of Net users. You shop online often and have been clicking-to-buy for a long time.

This is the second of three columns dedicated to sharing the results of my informal poll that gives a glimpse of the online use of about 125 of you. I'll make all the results available online, but you'll need to wait for next week's column for details on where to find them.

Here's some of what you shared regarding online shopping:

The earliest purchase made by any respondent was in 1985 for a subscription to the original "Byte" magazine. Another early bird started in 1992, buying an item that accelerated their online experience -- a 9600 baud modem "for around $200."

For those of you who never experienced the good ol' days of the Internet, this modem connected via a dial-up telephone line at frozen molasses speed. Granted, there was no streaming video back in 1992, and Web sites were very text-heavy, but I guarantee none of you would want to turn back that clock.

Software and books were the popular first-purchase items in the mid-to late-1990s, with airline tickets following close behind. The fear factor was shared by some readers, including this first-timer's tale: "(My first purchase was) about 10 years ago. An obituary from a newspaper archive. It was scary, I just knew my Visa number was going to be out there for everyone to find!"

Another respondent writes: "That was SO long ago! It may have been a Dell computer back in 1995. I remember that I held off on online buying until Discover came out with the first online shopping safety card where they would cover you for any online fraud losses.

The majority of respondents said they've already made more than a dozen online purchases this year, with many saying they've lost track of their online buying in 2008.

When it comes to selling items online, the usage is a bit less, although some folks say they run businesses on eBay. One person said they've already sold 50 to 60 items, while another summed up the majority answer: "Nope, not me. Zero, nada, naught."

Only 16 percent of respondents said they plan to purchase a new computer in the next three months. The question of when people made their most recent computer purchase shows that one or two years ago the most common reply. However, some folks are getting by with much older machines, as two readers said their computers were new in 2001.

Another surprise is that 21 percent said they access the Web on their mobile phones, with only 16 percent using their phones to read e-mail. I would have guessed those would be reversed.

Next week: Some gems from your random thoughts about the Net.

Share your Internet story with me at agibes@reviewjournal.com.