• by January 3, 2001

(AP) - Americans may not have been shopping online as much as e-tailers wanted during the holidays, but the Web was apparently still an important resource for many.

More than twice the number of Internet users sent emails to coordinate holiday get-togethers than to buy stocking stuffers, according to a survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project taken between Nov. 22 and Dec. 21.

The survey of more than 2000 Internet users found that 53% of them sent holiday-related emails while only 24% made purchases online. Thirty-two percent sent e-greeting cards, and 24% surfed the Web for recipes and holiday celebration ideas.

"During the holidays, online Americans were more inclined to use the Internet for social purposes than commercial purposes, said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet Project.

The survey showed several other warning signs for online merchants, Rainie said. While 24% of the participants said they clicked and bought, an equal percentage said they stopped their online transactions midway. And about 22% who said they shopped online in 1999 did not do so in the year 2000.

People value control, and they can retain that when they send e-mails or Web browse, said John Horrigan, senior researcher for the project.

"Online shopping means relying on other people or systems to safely transmit the credit card data, pack the right size and color in the box and get it to a destination on time," Horrigan said. "More people clearly prefer the social dimensions of online life, where they have greater control over what's going on."