HIGH-TECH CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS ARE NOT ONLY EXCITING, BUT VERY IMPORTANT

“I’ve always viewed [the Internet] as something that can broaden and deepen democracy. That’s why I think it’s not only exciting, but I think very important.”

Representative Anna Eshoo (D.-Silicon Valley), on her discovery that hyping the Net makes for compelling material in fundraising speeches, New York Times CyberTimes, 2 November 1997

WE MINIMIZE THE MEAN TIME BETWEEN FAILURES

“The speed to access content, market information, and execution was markedly faster electronically than through a human.”

ETrade CEO Christos Cotsakos, in deep denial about the reliability of his company’s online trading service under stress, Wired News, 29 October 1997

BUT THAT’S ALL CHANGED NOW

“When I joined Silicon Graphics in 1984, it was a 100-person graphics company with great people and ambitious objectives.”

Ed McCracken, the recently booted CEO of Silicon Graphics, on what happened under his watch at SGI, company press release, 29 October 1997

OUR BRANDS, OUR SELVES

“In a world where competitive advantage comes either from new design or from the attention of people, those who succeed will be those who are good at getting their new designs or themselves noticed.”

Ubercyberconsultant Esther Dyson, quoted in a review of her latest book, Release 2.0, The New York Times, 28 October 1997

YEAH, YEAH, WE’VE HEARD OF KICKBACKS BEFORE

“We will now benefit from the manufacturing economies of scale that Intel provides so that we buy components from them at far lower costs than would otherwise have been the case.”

Bruce Claflin, senior vice president at Digital Equipment, on the economic rewards of getting bought out of the chipmaking business, Yahoo/Reuters, 27 October 1997