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Some are good -- very good, and some are bad -- very bad.

But one thing I've noticed becoming increasingly common is the proliferation of "read-only" websites and yesterday I found the perfect example.

Hidden amidst the myriad of other bulk email I (and every other Net user) get each day, I found a solicitation from Sony NZ to register at their new website MySony.co.nz.

No, this wasn't a spam -- I'm subscribed to the Sony Style newsletter so I didn't mind receiving this invitation.

The site itself looks quite nice. It's easy on the eye, loads fairly quick and has sensible navigation. After clicking through the Terms of Use screen you get a form that asks for some relevant information -- including the model and serial number of a Sony product you've bought.

Into this field I entered, straight from the sticker on the box, the model number SLV-EZ70NZ.

Bzzzzt! No good!

I was told that this model number was not recognised. I tried again -- but still to no avail.

"Okay, I'll try another one" I thought to myself, and I typed in the model number from another Sony box sitting here: SLV-EZ7NZ

Nope, that didn't work either.

Now I should point out that these model numbers are for Sony VCRs that I bought several years ago and they're no longer sold, having been superceded -- which is probably just as well because one broke down after just 15 months use and the other is just plain crappy. (I don't buy Sony products any more).

Obviously, until I could convince the website to accept these model numbers I was stuck -- so I figured I'd email Sony and ask why they were rejected.

But where's the "contact" link?

Oh dear -- there isn't one. Nothing on the front page of the MySony.co.nz website, nothing on the registration page. But surely there must be some kind of email or contact form on the main Sony NZ website right?

Hmmm... they're not making it easy to find. If you trawl around long enough you'll find that there is a "feedback" form, but it's three levels down!

Why isn't there any kind of contact mechanism on the MySony microsite?

In the end I had to ring Sony to find out what was going on with my attempt to register. They told me that they were aware of problems with some model numbers and admitted that perhaps it would be helpful to have a contact link on those pages. However, they also told me that such a link would be added by this morning -- I still don't see it, do you?

Sony NZ are not alone in this desire to hide behind a wall of web-pages -- it's a growing trend and looks set to become the online equivalent of those God-awful automated phone systems -- you know, the ones that say "to reach the party you have dialed, press any key -- to terminate this call, press any other key".

If you don't believe me -- why not try to find a method of directly contacting anyone at eBay or Yahoo!, Google, or a myriad of other corporations with large websites.

Of course it could be argued that Net-based businesses such as those I've just mentioned need to hide their online contact details to prevent a massive wave of emails from those too lazy to seek out the answers to questions that might already be found somewhere on the site. There may be some validity to this -- but I still think that *every* website should have a "Contact" link on the front page.

Unless visitors to your site can contact you without having to spend more than a few seconds looking for an email address or contact form then you have a "read-only" website -- and that's the equivalent of a bank requiring new customers to make an appointment before they open an account -- oh, what's that? Some do these days?

My, isn't the world changing!

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