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Last Update:
18.12.2000
2000 
| Index |
 p 1 Microsoft and E-mail facts, figures and software |
| p 2 Domain Names and Cyberstudies |
| p 3 Failurenalia and Dotcom Backlashes |
| p 4 CyberCrimes, Music and P2P |
| p 5 Short Messaging Services and Fun Online |
| p 6 Big Deals and Who's Online |
| What's New |
| TechNews |
| WorldNews |
| AskExperts |
| SiteSeeing |
| TravelLinx |
| Telephony |
| ScheduLinx |
| e-Commerce |
| e-Trading |
| Wise & Wired |
| Daily Quiz |
[ Headlinks ]
[ Inside/Out ]
Big Deals
Below are some of the events that marked the Internet this year and could potentially have a deep impact on the future of the Internet as we know it. The only business deal mentioned here is the merger of two media giants, AOL and Time Warner, as n/e/tsurf does not really cover mergers and acquisitions. The other events mentioned are big deals in the sense that they are either for — such as P2P technolgoy — or go against what some of us still believe the Internet is really all about; freedom of expression, access to information and the sharing of knowledge.
The Best Non-Event
Y2K
So the lights did not go out after all, when the clock struck 12 last December 31st, thanks to computer engineers and Y2K task forces around the world who rose to the challenge of meeting the millenium deadline on time. Thanks again to all of them! Y2K
The Year's Biggest Surprise
BT's hyperlink patent
British Telecommunications rocked the Internet in June 2000, when they claimed ownership of a hyperlinks patent (patent 4,873,662), registered 14 years ago. This December BT began its legal fight to claim back millions of dollars in licensing revenues from US ISPs by filling it's first case against Prodigy Communications. FT / The Register
Big Time
AOL and Time Warner's mega media merger
The Federal Trade Commission approved the proposed merger of America Online and Time Warner on December 14, clearing the way for the creation of the world's biggest media business. Approval came after the companies agreed to strict conditions. The NY Times
Subscribers. AOL claims 26 millions subscribers wolrdwide this year.
Most Unpopular
Net faces 10-year Olympic shutout
The Olympic Committee and it's broadcast partners decided not to allow the broadcasting of the Sydney games on un-official websites. They hired "surfing" lawyers to police websites during the games and threatened legal action where unauthorised content was discovered. Early December, the IOC hosted a conference in Lausanne, Switzerland, to debate the future of sport and new media such as the internet and mobile telephone networks, and revealed that it had no plans to change this tough policy before the 2010 Winter Olympics. Back to the Dark Ages
A Threat to Freedom of Speech
Over selling Nazi-related goods.
In a case that has raised questions about the jurisdiction of national courts over international Internet companies and has sparked a widespread debate over whether local laws should apply to foreign Internet companies, french Judge Jean-Jacques Gomez ordered Yahoo to put filtering systems in place, preventing French customers from gaining access to the portions of its auction site that sell Nazi-related goods. The company might appeal the decision in French courts and may end up fighting the battle in U.S. courts, given the free-speech implications. The Industry Standard
The Promise
Peer-to-Peer Technology «P2P»
P2P, definitely this year's hot buzzword, is a technology that allows thousands of machines to talk directly to one another, allowing for a faster flow of information, easier storage and heightened security. Best known for powering the Napster and Gnutella file-sharing networks, now start-ups and big companies alike are putting Pp2P to work in new ways, showing that this powerful technology is about much more than snagging free copies of the latest Metallica song. "Harnassing P2P Power" WSJ
Who's Online
Women outnumber men online
A major shift in Internet demographics was published in a survey released this Spring by Media Metrix and Jupiter Communications which revealed that, for the first time, women users of the Internet outnumbered men online. Newsfactor
Out of Africa
Six years after the first African country, Ghana, introduced Web access to its population, the entire continent can now be said to be wired to the Internet as Somalia's first Internet service provider opened its doors in August of this year. Internet News
How Many Online
As of the end of November 2000, we are 407.1 million online. Nua Survey
Best of Chris Hiers
Editorial Cartoons
"Early Projection"
Below are some of the events that marked the Internet this year and could potentially have a deep impact on the future of the Internet as we know it. The only business deal mentioned here is the merger of two media giants, AOL and Time Warner, as n/e/tsurf does not really cover mergers and acquisitions. The other events mentioned are big deals in the sense that they are either for — such as P2P technolgoy — or go against what some of us still believe the Internet is really all about; freedom of expression, access to information and the sharing of knowledge.
The Best Non-Event
Y2K So the lights did not go out after all, when the clock struck 12 last December 31st, thanks to computer engineers and Y2K task forces around the world who rose to the challenge of meeting the millenium deadline on time. Thanks again to all of them! Y2KThe Year's Biggest Surprise
BT's hyperlink patent British Telecommunications rocked the Internet in June 2000, when they claimed ownership of a hyperlinks patent (patent 4,873,662), registered 14 years ago. This December BT began its legal fight to claim back millions of dollars in licensing revenues from US ISPs by filling it's first case against Prodigy Communications. FT / The RegisterBig Time
AOL and Time Warner's mega media merger The Federal Trade Commission approved the proposed merger of America Online and Time Warner on December 14, clearing the way for the creation of the world's biggest media business. Approval came after the companies agreed to strict conditions. The NY Times Subscribers. AOL claims 26 millions subscribers wolrdwide this year.Most Unpopular
Net faces 10-year Olympic shutout The Olympic Committee and it's broadcast partners decided not to allow the broadcasting of the Sydney games on un-official websites. They hired "surfing" lawyers to police websites during the games and threatened legal action where unauthorised content was discovered. Early December, the IOC hosted a conference in Lausanne, Switzerland, to debate the future of sport and new media such as the internet and mobile telephone networks, and revealed that it had no plans to change this tough policy before the 2010 Winter Olympics. Back to the Dark AgesA Threat to Freedom of Speech
Over selling Nazi-related goods. In a case that has raised questions about the jurisdiction of national courts over international Internet companies and has sparked a widespread debate over whether local laws should apply to foreign Internet companies, french Judge Jean-Jacques Gomez ordered Yahoo to put filtering systems in place, preventing French customers from gaining access to the portions of its auction site that sell Nazi-related goods. The company might appeal the decision in French courts and may end up fighting the battle in U.S. courts, given the free-speech implications. The Industry StandardThe Promise
Peer-to-Peer Technology «P2P»P2P, definitely this year's hot buzzword, is a technology that allows thousands of machines to talk directly to one another, allowing for a faster flow of information, easier storage and heightened security. Best known for powering the Napster and Gnutella file-sharing networks, now start-ups and big companies alike are putting Pp2P to work in new ways, showing that this powerful technology is about much more than snagging free copies of the latest Metallica song. "Harnassing P2P Power" WSJ
Who's Online
Women outnumber men onlineA major shift in Internet demographics was published in a survey released this Spring by Media Metrix and Jupiter Communications which revealed that, for the first time, women users of the Internet outnumbered men online. Newsfactor
Out of AfricaSix years after the first African country, Ghana, introduced Web access to its population, the entire continent can now be said to be wired to the Internet as Somalia's first Internet service provider opened its doors in August of this year. Internet News
How Many OnlineAs of the end of November 2000, we are 407.1 million online. Nua Survey
Best of Chris Hiers
Editorial Cartoons
"Early Projection"
