Vol. 2, No. 15 -- Week of April 16, 2000

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Welcome to Learn the Net News.

As someone who spent years as a freelancer, I enjoyed the freedom of being my own boss. The downside, however, was finding the next project. Some new Web services are taking the legwork out of looking by connecting people with projects. So whether you're looking for a project or want to contract a freelancer, find out how the Net can work for you.

This may be the post-literate age, as some people claim, but good writing seems to be more important than ever. Whether you aspire to pen poetry, fiction or investigative reports, there's a site to help you hone your skills. Take our Web Tour on Writing Workshops and find the right one for you.

In the New Services Department, we feature top Internet stories of the day. With the recent rollercoaster ride on Wall Street, there's certainly a lot to report on the technology front. Keep up with the latest developments from around the world.

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"Top Ten Things You Can Do on the Net This Week" include:

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Last week I thought I would mention some recent software I've downloaded, but after thinking about it, I realized many of you don't have high-speed Internet access. While you can certainly download these programs anyway, it could take hours with a slow connection. So this week, I'll give you my thoughts, for what it's worth, about the steep decline in technology stocks and reports about the imminent demise of online stores.

It appears that a whole bunch of dot-com companies are about to go bust. Here's why: With no physical presence, it's very difficult getting your name known. E-businesses that sell to consumers must spend millions for marketing. You've probably seen many of those ads over the last few months. But who can remember one pet food site from another? What's the difference between one online pharmacy and its competitor? And do we really need a dozen sites that sell music CDs?

One by one, over next year, e-tailers will be running out of money. Since they've already run of favor with investors, they will have nowhere to go but into bankruptcy or be bought by other companies. Is this a good thing? It certainly doesn't spell the end of the Internet, which continues its spectacular growth worldwide. What it does mean is that many half-baked concepts will not see the light of day and e-businesses will be held to the same standards as any real world business--turning a profit. Without the need to compete against a crowd of other dot-com companies, the survivors have a much better chance of actually making money. For us consumers, while we may not have as great a choice, we will have ultimately, better companies to take care of our needs.

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Learn the Net will be on hiatus for a week, so expect our next newsletter on May 1. Happy Holidays to everyone and thanks for subscribing. By the way, if you like Learn the Net News, please forward it to your friends and ask them to subscribe.

Michael Lerner

Publisher

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