This does sound like a dilemma. I think the rules should be different for the web since the web is arguably more powerful than paper mail. As soon as you tell a

This does sound like a dilemma. I think the rules should be different for the web since the web is arguably more powerful than paper mail. As soon as you tell an internet form something, just assume you've mailed your response for that particular thing, even if the whole form isn't done yet. I think the whole "if something can happen, it will happen" rule works nicely here. You can write on paper all you want, but the recipient will never be able to know what you wrote unless you explicitly mail them or send them a copy of the paper. On the other hand, for the web, it is very possible for the client to send the server information at any time.