The number of complaints over Internet-related activities nearly doubled last year, according to the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators (NACAA). Apparently, between 1996 and 1997 they went up by 23 per cent, and between 1997 and 1998 by 39 per cent. This is hot stuff. Right up there with "Internet use set to grow", "E-commerce to be worth a lot of money by 2002" and "Even my granny is online now". In fact, the complaint-shock-increase news is the bastard child of these three "surveys". Let's see. More people using the Internet. More people buying goods over the Internet. All sorts of IT-illiterate people on the Internet. Hmmm, and an increase in complaints you say? Funny. Sadly the NACAA only deals with percentages. Probably more impressive than "200 people (out of 5 million online) complain. Last year there were 143". ®