eCommerce Blog 3

In the article Google Wants Its Own Fast Track on the Web by Vishesh Kumar and Christopher Rhoads they cover the developing hot topic of network neutrality. Recently, many proponents of network neutrality have began to back off their stance and take an adversarial view. Although the article does not go into depth on why many of the former supporters are doing this it does however provide the powerful names of the companies who are doing so. Previously, Google was one of the most adamant supporters of network neutrality but now the article says even they have began to switch sides and create allies with cable and phone providers. Additionally, those who have switched from their proponent view on network neutrality include Microsoft, Yahoo and even Lawrence Lessig.

Many of the current supporters of network neutrality argue that by allowing companies to fast track themselves on the web you are allowing them to ultimately skip ahead in line and choke off the competition that doesn't subscribe to the "fast lane". In contrast, the article says advocates of network neutrality "believe it has helped the Internet drive the technology revolution of the past two decades, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs". Also, many phone and cable companies see network neutrality as a negative thing and believe Internet content providers should have to share in their rising costs.

In my opinion after reading the article I believe network neutrality to be a positive thing. The strongest support provided in the article seemed to be in favor of network neutrality. Likewise, the reasons against network neutrality were very poor and really had no backing. It just seems to me like someone is trying to make a quick buck here. Reading the view of cable and phone companies it seems like they want to create a new source of revenue at the expense of others, due to the poor economy affecting their bottom line. To have an educated stance on this topic you would have to understand the real impact all the new Internet traffic is having on cable and phone companies. But with my limited knowledge on the subject I think things should be left the way they are. I think network neutrality is one of the reasons the Internet has became so popular, due to the equality in the sharing of information there is no bias to one certain group of individuals.

eCommerce Blog 2

In the WSJ article U.S. Could Take Stake in Big 3 by Greg Hitt he talks about the latest update of the bailout bill for the US big 3. The main parts Hitt focuses on are the inclusion of a "car czar" as well as safeguards to protect taxpayers and more checks and balances. Currently, Hitt reports that one of the major problems holding the bill up is the lack of oversight and power given to the "car czar". Additionally, some politicians want to see a long-term viability plan and if the auto companies are able to follow the plan they should be given the money incrementally.
The reason I decided to write in response to this article is because it irritates me that companies think they can operate so arrogantly then when things get tough ask the government to bail them out. After reading other articles on the Big 3 I found it amazing how unadaptive to the business environment these companies were and can't understand why the US government would provide funds to help companies that didn't help themselves. In my opinion it's not the bill that's faulty and needs work it's the business model that these companies operate under that needs to be corrected. No amount of financing is going to help a business that is set up for failure with its current business model. In my opinion I'd like to see the government let these companies go under then reorganize in bankruptcy. With the current bailout there is really no change to the operational structure they're still keeping labor unions and the ridiculous amount of benefits they receive. Ultimately, I think this problem isn't going to go away and we will be dealing with it again in the future.

eCommerce Blog 1

The title of my first blog article was How to Handle a Lowball Job Offer, written by Joann S. Lublin.

This article talked about how due to today's the economy almost all new employees are seeing lower salary job offers. The article provides many examples of high level people seeing significantly lower salaries. However, it also shows how these individuals compromised with the company and increased their salary offer to past levels.

The reason I found this article interesting is because I'm graduating soon and will undoubtedly come across this new trend. I think it is important for students entering the job market to be aware of this and how to counter the company's offer without insulting them or putting yourself in a bad position with the company. From my internship experience over the summer I encountered this but due to the size of the company and how well known it was I didn't feel I was in a position to negotiate my pay. However, after reading this article it has provided me with a few techniques I could use when I receive a job offer.