I think some of the examples he gives at the end of the article are good in winning confidence, such as "we hate spam as much as you do" and "you can unsubscribe at any time". These things are hard to communicate through interface alone.
As for the Paypal thing, I hear what you're saying, but I think the microcopy should stay. It does no harm, fits just fine into the interface, and if it sways even one person who blanched when they saw the Paypal logo (next to the credit cards or otherwise), it was worth it.
As for the Paypal thing, I hear what you're saying, but I think the microcopy should stay. It does no harm, fits just fine into the interface, and if it sways even one person who blanched when they saw the Paypal logo (next to the credit cards or otherwise), it was worth it.