Paying Online Tickets Bad or Good?

Technically, what happens in California when you pay a traffic ticket is that you post bail, and then the bail is forfeited which results in a conviction for the offense. So this means that you committed a violation on January 18, you were originally required to appear in court on March 18, but you posted and forfeited bail on March 17, which was the date you were convicted. So what is means is that everything has been taken care of properly. (But why didn't you go to traffic school?)