Leslie Walker hosts Robert J. Davis of Terra Lycos. Leslie Walker hosts regular discussions with tech executives.
People think the end is near, at least for Internet advertising.
Merrill Lynch deepened the gloom last week by further slashing its Internet ad forecast, projecting that online ad sales this year will drop a whopping 25 percent. I don't buy this doomsday scenario. I'm convinced Internet ads will work, and eventually will be supplemented by subscription fees, allowing content to thrive again on the Web. One major shift is already apparent in the rush by publishers to offer advertisers a bigger, bolder presence on Web pages. The extra space gives online ads more oomph.