Taking an "on-line" class for firearms is equal to watching the "Borne Trilogy" and thinking you are now qualified to be a secret agent. There is no actual training provided.
Yes, it qualifies under the state regulations, but in reality, is worthless. The minor extra cost of a course with someone like Proshooter is well worth the money and time expended.
Knowledge is power, and you will learn far more from a real instructor.
Some people have the knowledge and experience in firearms already, and just need to get a printed certificate to get past the Clerk.
As someone alluded to earlier, there's no knowledge qualifications for open carrying, why the extra fuss over concealed carrying? It could simply be the difference of a piece of clothing draped over a holster.
Carrying's not THAT complicated, other than dodging the prohibitive statutory mines scattered all around us. 99.999% of the time the firearm's holsterd in the presence of the public, where it can do no harm. Safe handling of it boils down to 4 simple golden rules. And cleaning is not carrying, so the owner needs to take care of learning that on his own, seperate from the concern of the public.
Carrying does not require 007 or Jason Bourne skills. Shooting requires more skill than just carying, but it uber-rarely happens (other than the range), and despite routine training, even cops often suck at that when the situation gets intense, as it's a limitation of biology, yet we don't prohibit them from carryng or shooting in an emergency.
It still boils down to carrying is safe. Carrying and being able to have the chance/choice to shoot is safer than not carrying and leaving that choice only to the bad guy.
Self-preservation should motivate someone to train appropriate to their means to be able to hit their target for their own survival, and in the case of that rare emergeny, to avoid hurting anyone else for their own conscience's sake and their subsequent exposure to civil/criminal penalties.
But walking out the door and carrying is safe. Anything beyond carrying there are laws and it's your own tucas on the line, so learn as much as you see fit, and let the prosecutor teach you whatever else you might try to do that's wrong outside of the holster.
But just to carry is easy, and that's all getting a permit is about, carrying a different way and in some additional places. I think what the issuing gov't really cares about is the background check, and a chance to know for the future who specifically is likely to be armed.
I see nothing wrong with minimalist training to be allowed to carry, with the caveat that anything outside the holster has grave responsibilities for the carrier. But it's still better setting the threshold too high so as to discourage carrying.