December 8, 2000 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE 13

Just do it' vs. perfection: Finding the right gift online

by Rachel Gold

Gift giving is a tradition as old as the art of war, and can be equally treacherous. People seem to fall into two categories on the topic of gift-giving: Those who think the just right gift is a symbol of perfect love, and those who believe the holidays are no big deal and let's just get it over with.

If you're one type and in a partnership with the other type, you're sitting on a powder keg. You may find yourself giving the perfect gift only to have it set aside with a perfunctory "thanks,” or you may be giving a gift that falls far short of your partner's expectations.

In addition, we now live in a world where the possibilities have exploded in gifts for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. (Well, maybe not quite as much for the bisexual and transgender populations— but just you wait!) Searches for products on Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com each bring up over 8,000 GLBT-themed books, movies, gadgets and more. Amazon now also allows members to post lists of their favorite items, which can provide current gift ideas for those who are of the get-itover-with variety.

GLBT entrepreneurs have also created dozens of boutiques, gift shops and emporiums online. Still, many of us are wary about purchasing over the Internet. It's wise to check a web site to see what kind of security it uses. One GLBT tchotchke mall with everything from pins and jewelry to queer beer steins, Alternatives G & L Mall (at www.beproud.com), uses VeriSign to I certify its web site security.

VeriSign is a massive Internet Trust company. If you want in-depth information about online business security, VeriSign has published a paper at its site (www. VeriSign.com) titled "Securing Your Web Site for Business" that gives you the basics.

Another clue to a secure site is to look for a mention of an SSL (Secure Socket Layer Protocol) which allows only the business to

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see your ordering information. It prevents a third party from getting your credit card number when you click the "buy it" button. This is used by GLBT megastore 10% Productions (www.10percent.com) which sells everything from fashion and personal care to a variety of gifts.

If you're curious about the kind of SSL security a site is using, you can check it out yourself using Netcraft (www.netcraft.com/ sslwhats) a very handy British site that analyzes the address you give it and reports back to you the system in use by that site. From this site you can also find out what software a site is running, if you're curious.

If you fall in the I-must-find-the-perfectgift category, the Internet shaves considerable hassle off your holiday browsing. In the last four years, my gift shopping has shifted from almost 100 percent in "bricks and mortar" businesses to an even 50/50 be-. tween the bricks and the clicks.

Online shopping avoids the crowded crush in stores and allows you to look at many different brands of product. While it doesn't necessarily take less time than shopping in person, it affords the feeling of simplicity when you can purchase a gift with a few clicks of a button-no drive to the mall, no waiting in line.

In addition to those of us who choose stores and those who go online, the majority of Internet browsers now seem to look at products online, decide what they want, and then go buy them in person. That's a great system, especially when web sites don't give you a good idea of the dimensions or full functionality of a gift. (A number of large chain stores like Best Buy now allow you to purchase a product from the web and return it in a store if it doesn't suit you.)

The Internet also gives you the ability to generate gift ideas by showing your partner a number of items online, hearing their feedback and then going out to get one, or ordering it when they're not looking. Online and offline merchants are afraid that this year's holiday spending is going to be down

from last year's. Forbes recently reported that Americans estimate that they'll spend $836 on holiday gifts, compared to $849 last year. (Some ask, who spends $800 on holiday gifts? Remember, that's an average: add the Silicon Valley millionaire to the kid working at Starbucks, and divide by two.)

Hoping to keep our holiday budgets at or below $836, many of us decide we're going to send cards instead. Even easier, we can also send e-cards. Blue Mountain (www.bluemountain.com) is one of the most popular card sites on the net. For free, you

can send an electronic card to someone's e-mail box with moving graphics and sound and a personalized message. Blue Mountain even has a category of gay and lesbian pride cards. Of course you're invited to purchase and attach a gift to be sent with the card, from Harry & David or Martha Stewart, for example. Then, before you know it, that $836 is gone.

Rachel Gold is a freelance writer living in Minneapolis. She can be contacted at MailEPlay@aol.com.

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