Despite the hype, Internet numbers add up Alf Nucifora Internet stocks soar in price without any ostensible justification. The media is filled daily with stories of newly made, Internet-raised, Generation X multimillionaires. New Web ventures and new interactive start-ups are announced daily. The rational person would justifiably ask whether or not some overhyped mania is at play. But, the truth is, in spite of the noise and hyperbole, the trend data reveals that the Internet is still an embryo taking shape.
Full gestation is yet to occur.
What follows is an accumulation of trend information and data culled from a variety of Internet research companies. None of the data is older than six months. The data is a reflection of its source. In some cases, the sources are business forecasters, in others, Web reporting sites and online diary panels. Inconsistencies do appear from source to source, given the volatility of the environment.