[Sigia-l] The end is near

[Listera]

In yet another sign that IAs are no longer needed, New York Times reports
that online shopping has entered into a blissful stage of harmony and
efficiency: 

---------------
So in some ways, I'm sorry to report that this year will be different.
Online retailers have matured, for the most part, with many making it so
seamless and easy for me to zip through the purchase process that I have
once again been left with plenty of time to agonize over the quality of my
choices.
[...]
"What they'll find online this year is no big revolution, and that's good
news," said Scott Silverman, the executive director of Shop.org, a division
of the National Retail Federation. "Retailers have been focusing on trying
to make the shopping process easier and improving customer service."

So instead of gimmicks, online shoppers will encounter more sites that have
efficient, easy-to-navigate layouts and customer-friendly features that do
things like inform customers about whether an item is in stock, send e-mail
confirmation after an order is placed and allow shoppers to track the
physical progress of an order in transit.
---------------

In case you think I'm making it up:

<http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/21/technology/circuits/21shop.html>

Best,

Ziya