Finished my online PDC with Geoff Laton last year now. Was worried about the disadvantages of studying at a distance and not actually getting my hands dirty, so to speak. However, having completed the course, obtaining my certificate and talking with a number of people who got their PDC the old-fashioned way, I have no regrets. If anything, I am inclined to think that by spending so much more time studying the subject, I was much better equipped to retain the information and think about what I was doing. The final design project was a case in point: any friends I showed my project to were amazed at how much detail we were able to go into. In short I have no regrets! And as for not getting my hands dirty, I'm making up for that now!