E-Minis Cause Some Major Worry

To reiterate, most market participants don't worry about doomsday scenarios triggered by electronic futures.

"I don't see that happening," said Howard Simons, a special academic adviser at Nasdaq Liffe Markets and RealMoney.com contributor. "It would be a risk until a point where people understood there was a legit mistake, either malicious [or otherwise]. Word gets out very quickly if there's an error in price and [the market] would get back to where it was."

Nevertheless, Simons cautioned that "we all are susceptible" to dislocations in electronic futures, comparing the broader market to a highway, where "you're at the mercy of every other driver."

If stocks have an "accident," electronic futures will most certainly be involved. What role they'll play -- drunk driver or traffic cop -- remains to be seen.