July 22, 2002

Lands' End's Instant Business Despite its clean layout, attractive models and snappy clothes, a Lands' End catalog will never be able to tell you if those chinos will fit your hips. Pose the same query to the Landsend.com Web site, and Randi or Diane--or one of their colleagues--will answer you within seconds. Clothing retailer Lands' End is one of the few companies that have been able to make money from one of the most popular byproducts of the Internet: instant messaging. "Instant messaging has bolstered Lands' End's Web success. The company says that the average value of an order increases by 6% when a surfer uses its instant message technology. An online visitor who uses Lands' End's IM is 20% more likely to make a purchase than a customer who does not. " Call centers are full of customer service agents waiting for calls. Using Chat or Instant Messages they can now take 2 and sometimes three calls at a time. Every website that serves a customer base will have this technology in the future. 12:42:09 PM

How WorldCom filed for bankruptcy on a Sunday - Denise Howell explains how WorldCom filed for bankruptcy on a Sunday using the electronic filing system, which will soon be pervasive in all federal courts. [Ernie the Attorney] 11:15:52 AM

What Buddhists Know About Science. Tibetan Buddhists described advanced neurological concepts 2,000 years before science had the technology to discover them. By Daithí Ó hAnluain. [Wired News] 10:02:01 AM

Homer Simpson is Canadian, creator says. But -- ay caramba -- Matt Groening, his creator, hopes we won't have a cow about it. [Daypop Top News Stories] Actually it slipped out that Homer was born in Winnipeg, which happends to be my home town.  It should also be noted that there is a town called Springfield very near by. The local papers made a really big deal about this.  Homer was on the front page. 9:53:06 AM