Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
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It's an uneasy time in the Internet world, despite the expected holiday boom. Consumers spent an estimated $10.5 billion during the 1999 Christmas shopping season, up from about $7.8 billion the year before.
This year, it’s expected that the total could soar to the $20 billion level, despite signs that the economy is cooling off.
But problems on Wall Street, as investors have lost their enthusiasm for Internet commerce, are hurting the companies behind some popular shopping sites. Pets.com, the site with the funny sock puppet commercials, went out of business Nov. 9. A bad Christmas this year could lead other retailers whose ads you see on TV to close their virtual storefronts.
A site that promoted itself as a lastminute gift specialist last Christmas, www.gifts911.com, has been absorbed by another gift site, www.redenvelope.com.
Nevertheless, the Internet will generate big business this holiday season.
Toys, books, electronic items and music are the most-purchased items on the Web. Perhaps surprisingly, the
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