Collusion Damage
Online prices are higher than consumers hoped because sellers are tacitly cooperating. —by David Choi


Upwardly Mobile
Wireless technology promises some 'way out' innovations; it's time to start preparing.
—by Sheridan Forbes


Focus-Pocus
Focus groups should be dumped. Instead, real customers should be observed in real settings.
—by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore



Off the Cuff


Virtual Horizons
'Ramping' Up the Web
Sites are building the equivalent of wheelchair ramps to help the disabled move around online.
—by Peter Rosen



WWW.ord to the Wise
—by Paul B. Carroll,
Editor-in-Chief

The Write Stuff
Letters to the Editor.

Agents of Change
With agents feeling threatened by e-commerce, CNA makes them partners in its online efforts.
—by Bernard L. Hengesbaugh


Awake at the Switch
Three simple principles can keep customers from becoming disloyal.
—by John Sviokla


Altered States
Cybernations populate the Web, representing states of mind that range from silly to spooky.
—by Arnie Cooper


Future Imperfect
Most wireless predictions misunderstand customers' needs and the technologies' possibilities, two experts say.


Customers Rule
Consumers have seized power from businesses and must now be treated very differently. —by Patricia B. Seybold


A Mess of Chaos
A review of Surfing the Edge of Chaos: The Laws of Nature and the New Laws of Business by Richard T. Pascale, Mark Millemann, and Linda Gioja.
—by Eric Nee

Success at What Price?
A review of The Future of Success by Robert B. Reich.
—by James McGee