A double standard is the application of different sets of principles for similar situations, or by two different people in the same situation. A double standard may take the form of an instance in which certain concepts (often, for example, a word, phrase, social norm, or rule) are perceived as acceptable to be applied by one group of people, but are considered unacceptable—taboo—when applied by another group. The concept of a double standard has long been applied (as early as 1872) to the fact that different moral structures are often applied to men and women in society. A double standard can...

Proton is an electronic purse application for debit cards in Belgium. The system was introduced in February 1995 with the goal to replace cash primarily for small transactions around € 15. For security, the card is limited to storing 125.00 EUR of available electronic cash (originally 5,000 BEF). The card is used for small payments without a pin code or signature, and runs the same risk as with ordinary cash in that if the card is lost the cash value allocated to the card is also lost. The advantage to merchants is that they can accept payments without the necessity for a bank terminal to b...