Val Cowan Surfs the Net

I HAVE to confess I've never yet bought anything using the net.

Shopping online just can't match a trip down the High Street.

But e-commerce, as online sales have become known, does seem to be taking off.

A new European survey of companies' expectations of e-commerce revealed that Internet sales are set to rise to £1,243 billion by the year 2001, which is a lot of money.

But more than a third of the companies surveyed still thought that Europe was "lagging behind" the US in coming up with methods of implementing transactions on the Web.

The study, conducted by management consultants KPMG, contacted over 5000 European companies to find out how they use the Internet for e-commerce.

Rather than simply marketing on the Net, the survey predicts a 9% increase in transactions taking place online by 2001.

One of the first companies to take advantage of the Internet was online bookseller Amazon, and it is to follow the success of its US-based web-site by launching a web site specifically for the UK market.

Amazon has proved one of the most successful online e-commerce sites on the Net, serving more than 3.1 million customers in 160 countries in just over three years.

Last April, the company bought UK online bookseller Bookpages and the new site replaces the one previously operated by that company. The new site will have 1.4 million titles on offer. Managing director Simon Murdoch said: "We believe Amazon.co.uk will appeal to book buyers throughout the UK and Europe because we can offer fast delivery, lower overall prices and relevant local content."

Witch guide to Hallowe'en

IF you're getting ready for Hallowe'en there's plenty of help on the internet.

There is a great site which has everything you need to know.

There are recipes for cauldron cookery, a monster quiz, a guising guide (guising being the Scottish term for what is generally called Trick or Treat here and in America) and plenty of fearful facts.

You can send spooky cards and messages too.

Website: http://www.spooky.org.uk/

Glad to be grey

DO you know any dull men? Then maybe you should encourage them to sign up for the Dull Men's Club (motto: "It's OK to be dull".) It has a witty little website at:

http://www.dullmen.com/

dedicated to the dull members of the male species.

There's a test to find out if you are officially dull, and it explains the difference between dull and boring men.

There's suggested dull activities and biographies of dull men.

Why only dull men? Because women are fascinating, of course.

Smokes screen

IF you are trying to give up smoking, help is at hand.

Lifesaver is an informative site that might just, well, save your life.

It has information on what smoking does to your body in alarming graphic detail and even offers a game to keep your fingers busy when you feel like lighting up.

You can also register to receive supportive e-mails as you are giving up. Website: http://www.lifesaver.co.uk

Ex-Brooksider Anna Friel on net

SHE would hate me for saying this, but I still think of Anna Friel as little Beth from Brookside.

But she is now a fully-fledged movie star.

And she has her own official website, at:

http://www.netshopuk.co.uk/annafriel/frameset.htm.

Feel the Pulse

PULSE, the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's music section, is on the net.

If you've got a gig to publicise or any other music news, drop Pulse writer Paul Barry a line at: pbarry@lancashire.newsquest.co.uk.

Find Pulse online at:

http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk.

Val on line

IF you have seen something interesting on the Internet, drop me a line -- electronically, of course! My e-mail address is vcowan@lancashire.newsquest.co.uk.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.