Wasn't online shopping supposed to save us from the delays and long lines of real-world Christmas shopping? Well, visitors to the Web site of Macy's, "the world's biggest store," have been getting what is undoubtedly the world's most-viewed "server too busy" message.

Of course, Macys.com doesn't actually use that term; instead, it uses a folksier, more friendly wording:

"We'll be right with you.
It's a little crowded in here right now, and to make sure everyone enjoys shopping with us, we're asking new visitors to wait here a few moments while other shoppers finish up. We'll refresh your browser and welcome you in momentarily. Thanks for your patience!"

"In here"? You mean in that air-conditioned, windowless, fluorescent-lighted room where the silicon brains of the Macy's server farm are housed?

You'd think if the world's biggest store could put on the world's biggest Thanksgiving Day parade and all that, they could handle even the world's biggest load of holiday shopping traffic.

By the way, the Macys.com page is not refreshing (or if it is, it's not taking me to a functioning Macys.com Web page), so it's apparently taking quite a "few moments" for those other shoppers to "finish up."

Luckily for me, if I want to shop at Macy's for Christmas I'm just a half-hour trip from their flagship Herald Square store. Which is an experience in itself. After all, in cyberspace you don't get to ride on those half-century old escalators with the wooden slats on the steps...