Site Makes a Game out of Failing Dot-coms
Fun and Useful Website Reviews
Benjamin Lewis '01
Issue date: 9/6/00 Section: Diversions
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I’ve recently learned about a number of fun and useful websites that I’m sure Johnson School students will enjoy surfing. The first, FuckedCompany.com, is all the rage in the venture capital and E-commerce communities. If you haven’t heard about it yet, well, you better get in the know because this is the place to learn about all the dot-coms that are failing because of their warped and fatally flawed business plans. Now, the site has a game that you can play in case you don’t have the guts to actually short public dot-coms. What you do is pick companies every week that you think are going to have major problems, then you score points if you are right. I have 4687 points, which is pretty good considering I have a social life instead of constantly playing the game. And, if you are unpopular, perhaps you will get addicted and get first place!
There are some interesting sites concerning DVIX ;-), the new MPEG4 compression format for videos that is rumored to compress a feature length movie to 750 megs, small enough to download on a cable modem or from Sage. The relevent sites include Scour Exchange at sx.scour.com, the Codec homepage divx.ctw.cc, and the supposed business arm ProjectMayo.com. Now, I’ve heard of couple of people besides myself who have experimented with this and none one has had success downloading so much as a single movie. DivX ;-) is beginning to reek of a Pixelon (www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,16317,00.html .)
Another thing to do if you feel like wasting time is to visit WorthGuide.com. This site is like Bloomberg for ebay. They basically standardized a number of consumer items and collect price and trade volume data about them. You can use their tools to look up graphs of price and volume changes over time of everything from PalmV’s to beanie babies. If you are especially rambunctious, you could enter all the junk you own into the “MyWorth” section and get a nearly real-time net worth of your physical assets. If you do decide to sell everything you own, use AuctionWatch.com to track and manage your auctions.
However, if you feel like accumulating more junk, rather than dumping it, then cruise over to FatWallet.com or TheDailyDeals.com for some coupons before the B-C bubble bursts for good. If you are on a budget, try freeclutter.snap.com for free things to clutter up your apartment.
Lastly, I’ve found a website for people who brainstorm new businesses for class projects or at the Chapter House. Be sure to visit IdeaDollar.com where you can sell your ideas for a few i$’s which is a convertible flooz-like currency which can be used at places like amazon.com. After registering, you can brain-fart ideas to your heart’s content after stumbling home from the Palms. They keep a 6 month non-exclusive license to your idea in exchange for pseudo-money. Come to think of it, I’ve got an idea right now! Choose IdeaDollar.com as one of your FuckedCompany.com picks!
There are some interesting sites concerning DVIX ;-), the new MPEG4 compression format for videos that is rumored to compress a feature length movie to 750 megs, small enough to download on a cable modem or from Sage. The relevent sites include Scour Exchange at sx.scour.com, the Codec homepage divx.ctw.cc, and the supposed business arm ProjectMayo.com. Now, I’ve heard of couple of people besides myself who have experimented with this and none one has had success downloading so much as a single movie. DivX ;-) is beginning to reek of a Pixelon (www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,16317,00.html .)
Another thing to do if you feel like wasting time is to visit WorthGuide.com. This site is like Bloomberg for ebay. They basically standardized a number of consumer items and collect price and trade volume data about them. You can use their tools to look up graphs of price and volume changes over time of everything from PalmV’s to beanie babies. If you are especially rambunctious, you could enter all the junk you own into the “MyWorth” section and get a nearly real-time net worth of your physical assets. If you do decide to sell everything you own, use AuctionWatch.com to track and manage your auctions.
However, if you feel like accumulating more junk, rather than dumping it, then cruise over to FatWallet.com or TheDailyDeals.com for some coupons before the B-C bubble bursts for good. If you are on a budget, try freeclutter.snap.com for free things to clutter up your apartment.
Lastly, I’ve found a website for people who brainstorm new businesses for class projects or at the Chapter House. Be sure to visit IdeaDollar.com where you can sell your ideas for a few i$’s which is a convertible flooz-like currency which can be used at places like amazon.com. After registering, you can brain-fart ideas to your heart’s content after stumbling home from the Palms. They keep a 6 month non-exclusive license to your idea in exchange for pseudo-money. Come to think of it, I’ve got an idea right now! Choose IdeaDollar.com as one of your FuckedCompany.com picks!