The winter proceeded apace. Despite a great deal of chaos, we managed to publish some really important information and worthwhile journalism every day for five months, as our archives can attest. Then we ran out of money. Straight Goods was launched on the dream that if enough people read it every day, we would be able to sell enough advertising to make a living. The news was full of stories of overnight successes on the Internet like the one with dancing hamsters that drew a million visitors.
Investors put billions into startups all premised on the same logic.
A year later, it's like walking through a graveyard. Cutbacks and shutdowns are the name of the game in the Web industry. And a whole lot of us have developed repetitive strain injuries from excessive keyboard and mouse use. I wince from elbow pain as I type these words. Life at Straight Goods has reflected the changes in the industry.