I received my replacement PayPal Security Key and went through the activation process again. Fortunately, the process went smoothly this time. I made a small purchase to test the purchase process and it also went well.
Here’s something to note though. After completing the activation process, PayPal instructs you to use the system by logging in with your account name and then appending the time-based 6-digit code to your password. A listener of the Security Now podcast, however, suggested a procedure that seems more secure to me, however. Instead of adding the code to the end of your password and sending everything as a single string, press enter after typing your normal PayPal password without the 6-digit number. PayPal will then prompt you with a separate text box in which you can enter the digits alone. I used this process with my little purchase and the payment went through ok.
BTW, if there are any other Stargate SG-1 fans reading this, I bought the HD version of webisodes 1 through 4 of the Sanctuary online series. A number of the people involved with the SG-1 TV series are involved with this web project. So, I was curious enough to shell out a few dollars to see what it is about. I took a brief look at it and it looks pretty good so far. The CGI video production work looks great. I should make it clear that Sanctuary is NOT set in the SG-1 universe.