<PAGE>

      As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 24, 2000
                                               Registration No. 333-____________
===============================================================================

                   SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                         Washington, D.C. 20549

                                   ----------

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                   ----------

                                 ABOUT.COM, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

              DELAWARE                                   13-4034015
    (State or other jurisdiction             (IRS Employer Identification No.)
  of incorporation or organization)

                         220 E. 42ND STREET, 24TH FLOOR
                            NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10017
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

                                   ----------

                             1999 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                          OF WISEADS INTERACTIVE, INC.
                            (Full title of the Plan)

                                   ----------

                               MR. SCOTT P. KURNIT
                      CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
                                 ABOUT.COM, INC.
                         220 E. 42ND STREET, 24TH FLOOR
                            NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10017
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (212) 849-2000
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                                   ----------

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

============================================================================================
                                             Proposed         Proposed
                                              Maximum         Maximum
  Title of Securities      Amount to be   Offering Price     Aggregate        Amount of
    to be Registered      Registered(1)     per Share(2)  Offering Price(2)  Registration Fee
    ----------------      -------------     ------------  -----------------  ----------------

<S>                      <C>               <C>             <C>             <C>

1999 Stock Option Plan of
WiseAds Interactive, Inc.

Common Stock, $0.001
par value              115,808 shares    $4.31-$129.52(2)  $1,189,571.73(2)    $314.05
============================================================================================
</TABLE>



(1) This Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of Common
    Stock which become issuable under the 1999 Stock Option Plan of WiseAds
    Interactive, Inc. by reason of any stock dividend, stock split,
    recapitalization or other similar transaction effected without the
    Registrant's receipt of consideration which results in an increase in the
    number of the outstanding shares of Registrant's Common Stock.

(2) Calculated solely for purposes of this offering under Rule 457(h) of the
    Securities Act of 1933, as amended, on the basis of (i) the actual prices
    of $4.31, $8.63, $10.79, $12.95 and $129.52 for an aggregate of 54,154,
    20,966, 7,072, 1,739 and 5,216 options, respectively, to purchase Common
    Stock being registered, which have already been granted under the 1999
    Stock Option Plan of WiseAds Interactive, Inc., and (ii) the average of the
    high and low sale price of the Common Stock on August 21, 2000 ($31.0625)
    with respect to 26,661 shares of Common Stock subject to future grants of
    options under the 1999 Stock Option Plan of WiseAds Interactive, Inc.

<PAGE>

                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT



Item 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

         About.com, Inc. (the "Registrant") hereby incorporates by reference
into this Registration Statement the following documents previously filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"):

         (a)      The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
                  year ended December 31, 1999, filed with the SEC on March 30,
                  2000;

         (b)      The Registrant's Amended Current Report on Form 8-K/A, filed
                  with the SEC on February 14, 2000, the Registrant's Current
                  Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on April 10, 2000,
                  the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the
                  SEC on June 21, 2000, the Registrant's Quarterly Report
                  on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2000,
                  filed with the SEC on May 15, 2000, and the Registrant's
                  Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period
                  ended June 30, 2000, filed with the SEC on August 11, 2000;
                  and

         (c)      The Registrant's Registration Statement No. 000-25525 on Form
                  8-A filed with the SEC on March 10, 1999, in which there is
                  described the terms, rights and provisions applicable to the
                  Registrant's outstanding Common Stock.

         All reports and definitive proxy or information statements filed
pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (the "1934 Act") after the date of this Registration Statement
and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all
securities offered hereby have been sold or which de-registers all securities
then remaining unsold shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this
Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such
documents. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded
for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement
contained herein or in any subsequently filed document which also is deemed to
be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any
such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so
modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Item 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

         Not Applicable.

Item 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL

         Not Applicable.

Item 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

         Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law authorizes a court
to award or a corporation's Board of Directors to grant indemnification to
directors and officers in terms sufficiently broad to permit such
indemnification under certain circumstances for liabilities (including
reimbursement for expenses incurred) arising under the 1933 Act. Article VIII of
the Registrant's Amended and Restated Bylaws provides for mandatory
indemnification of its directors and officers and permissible indemnification of
employees and other agents to the maximum extent permitted by the Delaware
General Corporation Law. The Registrant's Second Amended and Restated
Certificate of Incorporation provides that, subject to Delaware law, its
directors shall not be personally liable for monetary damages for breach of the
directors' fiduciary duty as directors to the Registrant and its stockholders.
This provision in the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation
does not eliminate the directors' fiduciary duty, and in appropriate
circumstances equitable remedies such as injunctive or other forms of
non-monetary relief will remain available under Delaware law. In addition, each
director will continue to be subject to liability for breach of the director's
duty of loyalty to the Registrant or its stockholders for


                                      II-1
<PAGE>

acts or omissions not in good faith or involving intentional misconduct, for
knowing violations of law, for actions leading to improper personal benefit to
the director, and for payment of dividends or approval of stock repurchases or
redemptions that are unlawful under Delaware law. The provision also does not
affect a director's responsibilities under any other law, such as the federal
securities laws or state or federal environmental laws. The Registrant intends
to enter into indemnification agreements with its officers and directors, which
will provide the Registrant's officers and directors with further
indemnification to the maximum extent permitted by the Delaware General
Corporation Law. The Registrant maintains directors' and officers' liability
insurance policies insuring the Registrant's directors and officers against
certain liabilities and expenses incurred by them in their capacities as such,
and insuring the Registrant under certain circumstances, in the event that
indemnification payments are made by the Registrant to such directors and
officers.

Item 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED

         Not Applicable.

Item 8.  EXHIBITS

  EXHIBIT
   NUMBER      EXHIBIT
   ------      -------

     4         Instruments Defining the Rights of Stockholders. Reference is
               made to Registrant's Registration Statement No. 000-25525 on Form
               8-A, together with any exhibits thereto, which are incorporated
               herein by reference pursuant to Item 3(c) to this Registration
               Statement.

     5         Opinion and consent of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP.
    23.1       Consent of KPMG LLP.
    23.2       Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP.
    23.3       Consent of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP is contained in
               Exhibit 5.
    99.1       1999 Stock Option Plan of WiseAds Interactive, Inc.
    99.2       Form of Option Assumption Agreement.

Item 9.  UNDERTAKINGS

         A. The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes: (1) to file, during
any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment
to this Registration Statement: (i) to include any prospectus required by
Section 10(a)(3) of the 1933 Act, (ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or
events arising after the effective date of this Registration Statement (or the
most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this
Registration Statement and (iii) to include any material information with
respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this
Registration Statement or any material change to such information in this
Registration Statement; provided, however, that clauses (1)(i) and (1)(ii) shall
not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective
amendment by those clauses is contained in periodic reports filed by the
Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the 1934 Act that are
incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement; (2) that for the
purpose of determining any liability under the 1933 Act each such post-effective
amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
securities offered therein and the offering of such securities at that time
shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; and (3) to remove
from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities
being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the 1999 Stock
Option Plan of WiseAds New Media, Inc. (formerly WiseAds Interactive, Inc.).

         B. The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the 1933 Act, each filing of the Registrant's
annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the 1934 Act that is
incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.



                                      II-2
<PAGE>

            C. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the 1933
Act may be permitted to directors, officers or controlling persons of the
Registrant pursuant to the indemnification provisions summarized in Item 6 or
otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that, in the opinion of the SEC, such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and is,
therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against
such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred
or paid by a director, officer, or controlling person of the Registrant in the
successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.



                                      II-3
<PAGE>


                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8, and has duly caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of New York, State of New York on this 24th day of
August, 2000.

                                    ABOUT.COM, INC.


                                    By: /S/ Scott P. Kurnit
                                       ----------------------------------
                                        Scott P. Kurnit
                                        Chief Executive Officer and
                                        Chairman of the Board of Directors


            Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following
persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

         SIGNATURE                      TITLE                       DATE


/S/ SCOTT P. KURNIT         Chief Executive Officer            August 24, 2000
-----------------------    (Principal Executive
Scott P. Kurnit             Officer) and Chairman of the
                            Board of Directors


/S/ TODD B. SLOAN           Chief Financial Officer            August 24, 2000
-----------------------    (Principal Financial Officer)
Todd B. Sloan


/S/ FRANK J. BIONDI, JR.    Director                           August 24, 2000
-----------------------
Frank J. Biondi, Jr.


/S/ STANLEY FUNG            Director                           August 24, 2000
-----------------------
Stanley Fung


/S/ DAPHNE KIS              Director                           August 24, 2000
-----------------------
Daphne Kis



/S/ RONALD UNTERMAN         Director                           August 24, 2000
-----------------------
Ronald Unterman



/S/ KRISTOPHER A. WOOD      Director                           August 24, 2000
-----------------------
Kristopher A. Wood



                                      II-4

<PAGE>




                             EXHIBIT INDEX

 EXHIBIT
  NUMBER       EXHIBIT
  ------       -------

     4         Instruments Defining the Rights of Stockholders. Reference is
               made to Registrant's Registration Statement No. 000-25525 on Form
               8-A, together with any exhibits thereto, which are incorporated
               herein by reference pursuant to Item 3(c) to this Registration
               Statement.

     5         Opinion and consent of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP.
    23.1       Consent of KPMG LLP.
    23.2       Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP.
    23.3       Consent of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP is contained in
               Exhibit 5.
    99.1       1999 Stock Option Plan of WiseAds Interactive, Inc.
    99.2       Form of Option Assumption Agreement.