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Table of Contents
Issue Dated
Nov. 20, 2000
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COVER
STORY
Laying It On the Line
Bernie Ebbers, telecom's swaggering cowboy, delivered a profit warning and an apology to WorldCom investors on Nov. 1. They responded by lopping $17 billion more off his company's market cap. Now, with its long-distance business unraveling, Ebbers sees salvation in the Internet. But visionary Vice-Chairman John Sidgmore is growing increasingly detached and could soon be on his way out. Has too much time passed for WorldCom to become a player in high-value Internet services?
SPECIAL REPORT: LOGISTICS
Logistics Is Suddenly Sexy
Both dot-coms and Old Economy companies are turning their attention and dollars to the mundane business of delivering the goods on time
Nabisco: One Smart Cookie
It's using the Web to coordinate orders, and share warehouses and trucks with other manufacturers
Warehouse Trouble
The dot-com shakeout comes just as e-fulfillment outfits are gearing up to deliver Christmas goods
ONLINE EXTRA: Q&A with Kevin Lynch of Nistevo
FEATURES
Our Readers Write
Home Page
Software to catch e-adulterers, an Idiot's Guide to not much, prospects for an online delivery service, a gibberish generator
Personalities
Going for Gold at BlueLight
Parent Kmart considers him a bit pushy, but CEO Mark
Goldstein aims to make its online retailer leader of the pack
Making Her Own Luck
If Ellen Hancock can mastermind new services for Web hoster Exodus, her old job setbacks will be a laughing matter
Web Smart Companies
Wired at Webcor
The San Mateo builder's embrace of
technology makes it stand out in the
risk-averse construction industry
ONLINE EXTRA: .Q&A with Andy Ball of Webcor
3M: Glued to the Web
An online strategy has enabled it to finesse problems
with deliveries, inconsistent data, and inventory levels
Upstarts
Getting You Out of Gridlock
TrafficStation will need partners to deliver customized traffic information to drivers anytime, anywhere
ONLINE EXTRA: Q&A with Shane Coppola of Westwood One
Keep the Excess Moving
In a huge market for surplus goods, online exchange TradeOut is growing, but it faces a wealth of rival sites
Net Culture
Making a Killing Online
There's little to discourage the sale of "murderabilia" and a whole range of equally unthinkable items
ONLINE EXTRA: An Underground Market Moves to Mainstream America
Management
A Fruitful Relationship
Old Economy giant P&G and New Economy startup Plumtree are profiting from a joint software project
Net Worth
Rage Against Online Brokers
Most spend more on building brand and acquiring customers than on service, and complaints are soaring
Stock Info for the Masses
Multex has stayed ahead of investor demands--and so far, even has a profit to show for it
ONLINE EXTRA: For Full Service Brokers, Multex.com Is "Not the Enemy"
COMMENTARY
Neuborne on E-tailing
Seamless Shopping
Brick-and-mortar stores have finally integrated their online operations in time for high season
Data Mine
Grandma Gets the Net
Older women are flocking to the Net in droves, but sites aren't tailored to their sensibilities
Clicks & Misses
Priceline: Going...Going...Gone?
We found shopping for travel was good;
long-distance phone service and cars--nah
Design
Diss My Web Site, Please
Jakob Nielsen believes the best design critics are users
The Digital Lifestyle
Weird Names and Ham
Where descriptive words go in herds, and goofy names hide empty domains
Net Worth: Due Diligence
It Ain't Over 'til It's Over
The shorts are betting against Global Sports, but it may very well survive
ONLINE EXTRA: What a Delayed IPO Means for Verizon Wireless
In last month's e.biz, we warned you that
Verizon Wireless' IPO looked dicey. What's in store for the company now that it
has shelved the deal?
Critical Numbers of the Month
The IPO market is getting tougher and more companies are giving up
on their IPO dreams as pink slips pile up
Cutting Edge
Look, Ma, No Humans
A few years from now, most e-commerce will be carried out by machines
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 Technology Forums
 
On the Cover: Illustration by Daniel Adel
E.BIZ ONLINE
The Web Site for Electronic Business
ebiz.businessweek.com
This Week
November 13-17
MONDAY
So What's Plan B?
Spinning out a dot-com subsidiary was all the rage. No more. What's next?
Perspective
by Heather Green
TUESDAY
Calling Dr. Soros
Most people had given Bluefly.com up for dead. Not investor George Soros. Can he help revive the off-price online retailer?
Company Closeup
by Faith Keenan
WEDNESDAY
Shorts vs. Sports
Short sellers are betting big time that Global Sports is doomed. CEO Michael Rubin is out to prove them wrong.
Movers &
Shakers
by Heather Green
THURSDAY
The Net2Phone Puzzle
Using phones to tap the Internet is going mainstream, thanks to AOL and Yahoo! So why is pioneer Net2Phone sinking?
Street Wise
by Amey Stone
FRIDAY
Move Over, Priceline
The airlines have started their own cheap tix site, Hotwire.com. We offer
an assessment of the interloper.
Clicks & Misses
by Timothy J. Mullaney
COMING UP SOON:
Disappearing Inc. lets you get rid of
unwanted e-mail--for good.
A profile of social critic Jeremy Rifkin, whose latest target is e-business
and "hypercapitalism."
We try out shopping bot MySimon.com
EXTRAS:
Q&As
Get a firsthand perspective on the issues.
Andy Ball, president of Webcor, talks about how the Internet
is changing construction.
Shane Coppola of Westwood One assesses the prospects for making
money from traffic and other information via the mobile Web.
Kevin Lynch, CEO of Nistevo, explains Net-powered logistics.
Andy Kahan, a victims' rights advocate in the Houston mayor's office,
discusses the dark side of online auctions.
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DESIGN
Ideas.com
Design maven Jakob Nielsen watches people browse around on a Web site to gain valuable insights into usability. In the case of ideas.com, the invention and inspiration exchange put off its launch to fix the problems. We'll show you what didn't work--and what does.
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What's Behind the Net-Stock Meltdown
Don't be surprised that the transition to the vaunted
Internet Age isn't a pretty sight. Failure is a natural part of the process. Let's just hope that from now on companies are better prepared before going public.
Perspective, Oct. 30
Need Just a
Tad Less Angst?
The Nasdaq-100
tracking stock, known as the Qs, may be just the ticket for queasy investors. You get only the Nasdaq blue chips and less volatility. Here's our primer.
Street Wise, Oct. 26
Seeking
Profits from Nonprofits
Harry Gruber has sold off his streaming video company. Next? His Kintera will help nonprofit groups raise money over the Web.
Movers & Shakers, Nov. 1
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