Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

Internet Daily for Wednesday, May 23, 2001
by Frank Barnako CBS MarketWatch.com

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Quirks in Web medical advice

A study conducted for the Journal of the American Medical
Association found information available on health-related Web
sites is poor and inconsistent, although generally correct.
Locating pertinent information through search engines is not
easy, and available content is often difficult to comprehend, a
JAMA article also reported. The accuracy of information ranged
from 75% to 91%, the study found. The range for Spanish-language
content was 63% to 96%. "Our results suggest that consumers using
the Internet may have a difficult time finding complete and
accurate information on a health problem," the report said. All
of the English-language sites had material that required at least
a 10th-grade reading level. "Even if wider access to computer
technologies narrowed the digital divide, the online health
information currently available would be difficult for many
people to understand," the Journal report added.

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AOL users' purchases rise 70%

America Online reported its members made $6.7 billion worth of
purchases online through its service and other Internet sites in
the first three months of this year, 70% more than in the period
a year ago. The figure was also greater than the $6.4 billion
spent by AOL members during the last quarter of 2000. The fastest
growing purchasing categories over the last year were furniture
at 239%, theater and sporting tickets at 147%, clothing at 144%,
and groceries at 106%. Almost three-fourths of AOL's U.S.
membership, nearly 17 million members, now shop online, according
to data from Ascolese Associates, an Arlington, Va.-based market
research firm.

A bullish prediction for global online sales was also issued
Thursday by IDC, a research firm in Framingham, Mass. It expects
nearly 1 billion people will use the Internet by 2005 and spend
$5 trillion online. "It's easy to lose sight of the explosive
growth in Internet usage and commerce taking place below the
surface,'' said John Gantz, IDC's chief research officer. "More
than 100 million new users come onto the Web every year, and
corporate volume purchasing over the Web is just getting cranked
up."

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Online bettors pony up $2.6 million

Youbet.com Inc. announced it processed a record $2.6 million in
total combined bets for the week ended May 19, 2001, with
$700,000 on Saturday alone. "Our subscribers wagered on the
Preakness Stakes, one of horse racing's most exciting events,"
said Ron Luniewski, executive vice president.

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'Pearl Harbor' spurs Lycos search

The Walt Disney Co.'s Memorial Day weekend release, "Pearl
Harbor," is making its mark among Terra Lycos visitors using the
site's search tools. The film is the 27th most popular topic, and
the top movie on the Internet, said Aaron Schatz, who writes a
daily report about Lycos searches. World War II is currently at
No. 19 on the list, its highest position since Lycos began
reporting its search data in September 1999. "Wars are always
popular study topics online in schools during the springtime, but
Web interest in World War II is particularly high this year,
Schatz added.

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Bush plans Web site redesign

A dozen people are reportedly working to redo the Whitehouse.gov
Web site. "We've added a good deal more streaming media with each
passing week," White House spokesman Tucker Eskew told Wired
News, as he responded to criticism that the site is little
changed from its debut design nearly 7 years ago. "The site will
be dramatically improved within a matter of weeks," he added.

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BBC moves shortwave broadcasts to Web

The BBC World Service will end shortwave broadcasts to North
America, Canada and some of the Pacific region at the end of
June. The news service will try to reach those listeners using
the broadcaster's already-extensive Internet site. "What we are
not doing is saying shortwave is dead," Jerry Timmins, head of
the Americas region for the BBC World Service, told the Los
Angeles Times. "The vast majority of our listeners still access
us on shortwave. But a shift is happening, no question about it."
Other international broadcasters including the Voice of America
and Swiss Radio International have also reduced shortwave
programming, saving millions of dollars.

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