Last week’s Cyberman column looked at the problem of getting hold of information on the internet amid the maze of conflicting opinions, outdated websites and incessant pop-up advertisements for laser eye surgery. It prompted a larger number of emails than usual from readers seeking answers to their own technology-related queries; people who have gone online seeking help, and logged off feeling confused, slightly upset and no wiser than they were beforehand. It’s surely possible, with the assistance and wisdom of other readers of The Independent, that we might together be able to help those who find themselves in technological distress. Hence the opening of the Cyberclinic.

One particularly pertinent email came from Tony Morgan: “When I search for information about certain products on the net,” he writes, “all I get are results from price comparison sites. Who are they? What’s in it for them?” Many companies have small armies of experts devoted to bumping up their rankings on search engines, but the price comparison sites are particularly skilled at doing so. The leading five in the UK – Kelkoo, shopping.com, Pricerunner, Pricegrabber and Shopzilla – keep updated information on thousands of products from selected retailers, and aim to give a direct comparison of the price differences between them. The ideal comparison site would obviously be one that compared every single outlet, firmly consigning the tedium of “shopping around” to the scrapheap of history – but none of the five have completely comprehensive store coverage, and thus give a slightly skewed view of our shopping options. But some do their job better than others, and there are a few clues to look out for.

The sites receive referral fees from the stores every time you click through from their comparison pages, and some are obviously eager to send you on your way and earn their cash by providing little information other than the price. Kelkoo, indeed, allow stores to have direct links higher up the page – before any comparison has been made – in return for a fee. Others, such as Pricegrabber, keep people on their site for longer by providing more detailed information – specifications, reviews etc – to try and build a loyal base of users. Always check for clear indications of postage and packing charges; these aren’t always spelt out clearly and can distort the results of the price comparison. Also look out for seller ratings, which give an instant glimpse of which vendors are considered the most efficient and trustworthy by previous customers. These alone can be very useful, and may allow some of us to overcome our natural aversion to the middleman.

Another email this week came from someone who understandably prefers to remain anonymous: “I’ve become addicted to BitTorrent, and use it regularly for downloading movies, TV shows, comics, music and software. I wondered what my chances are of getting prosecuted?” Any readers who have their own opinions on the legality of BitTorrent, or who might have a question to submit to the Cyberclinic, should send their emails here…