Network Computingwww.networkcomputing.com

But Yahoo wasn't the only company bidding on HotJobs. TMP Worldwide made an offer this past summer before the value of its stock fell, and in December, Yahoo, with its deep pockets, easily topped TMP's bid. By the way, TMP already owns Monster.com. Look for the search players to either seriously differentiate themselves, seriously expand their services, or seriously go under.

+"God" +"Meaning of Life"

Speaking of looking for important things on the Web, a recent survey reveals that some 25 percent of American grownups search for religious information over the Internet. A big chunk of this activity is related to September 11, to be sure, as Americans fire up Google, AltaVista -- and perhaps even Yahoo -- to learn more about Islam.

+"Dell +"Cheap Speakers"

If you were using the Web to find a good deal on PC speakers recently, the Dell site was the place to go. Due to a pricing error, speakers that should have been listed at about $230 were offered for twenty-five bucks. While other companies, such as airlines, have been held to advertised prices, no matter how low, Dell weaseled out on this one -- and right before Christmas to boot. Bah Humbug!

But before you tar Dell as a Scrooge, it did sell the $25 speakers until it ran out. I guess it pays to act fast.

So Why Am I Not Excited

AT&T and Comcast executives were happily hopping up and down after AT&T's cable group agreed to merge with cable giant Comcast. A larger cable company could be a good thing, if it was aggressive and used its huge new footprint as a test bed for dramatic new services.

But before you get all excited, let me give you some personal insight. First, AT&T Broadband is my local cable company, and if you ask them when they'll have Internet over cable to my neighborhood, they'll bust a gut laughing. I did get an exciting notice from them recently. It pointed out that my bill will soon go up. I guess $60 a month for ESPN2 and HBO isn't enough. Thanks for nuthin'.

Internet Trickery