The best of 'Reader Comments': That pesky Microsoft paperclip and the frustrations of grocery shopping over the web

You think it's annoying now. Just wait until it's voice-activated - you just know it'll sound like Kermit the Frog.

--It must be maimed
From: Paul Hutchings

I hate it. I shall be canvassing MS to give me the option to have it twisted and mangled into the shape of a choking head.

--It must be killed!
From: Eleanor Durrant

If only it had a 'Go Away Now' button, a 'Go Away Forever' button, and an 'I know that' button, it would be so charming. But usability is not what it's there for. It's there because it looks cute.

--Desperate times...
From: Lynda Craney

In fact, I hated it so much that the first thing I did was READ the manual to find out how to turn it off

--Stop carping about coy clip
From: Judith Wanstall

The helpful little chap with the coy under the eyebrow glance - I like him around. And he can be turned off if I'm not turned on by him.

Then on Wednesday, consumer watchdog Which? criticised online grocery companies. Apparently their websites are often slow and crash-prone, and goods - if delivered - are sometimes of poor quality.

--Like fine Belgian, er, prunes?
From: Paul Hockie

I recently placed an order with Tesco for some birthday treats for a 20-year-old daughter. Apart from 60 being out of stock, I am still waiting for an explanation on one of the substitutions. She likes Belgian chocolates. The substitution - prunes

--Oh Tesco
From: David Cox

Yes, they could do better. After one-and-a-half hours online, (we're talking 12.45 am by this time) I was at the point of processing payment when the site claimed it had had a problem with the order. Checked the shopping basket - oops, it's empty. Customer services, the next morning, could only add that 'Yeah, that sometimes happens'. So, as my wife is forcing one of our very children round Sainsbury's the next day with two fully-laden trolleys, on her own, imagine my surprise when the Tesco's delivery man phones to say he's going to be an hour late with the delivery!!! Yes, we were refunded, but I'm not sure if they stuffed it where I suggested.

--"Stop moaning!"
From: Mark Harold

Why the sudden rush for EVERYTHING to be online? And why supermarkets? There's just too much choice - it's 17 shops in one, remember? Get that into a working HTML form and you're a magician.

Anyway, what's the complaint if it takes you two hours a week to buy food, and you have to get off your arse to do it? There are people in the world who have to walk for that long to get half-way to their water. My advice: stop whinging and sell your TV, then you will be much happier and have MUCH more spare time. Jeez, if you could do your shopping in two minutes you'd probably whinge until somebody invented the '90 second' shop. Sad.

And finally, following the earthquake in the North-West of the US (in which we should stress no-one was seriously hurt), we couldn't resist including this awful Microsoft joke...

Earthquake tremors/rumours
From: Nick Astaire

The WORD in the newspapers is that WINDOWS broke in Microsoft's OFFICE. Staff apparently EXCELled under adverse circumstances!