__ People __
__ Nader Redux __
Though he doesn't even use a computer, Ralph Nader used Microsoft to launch his public comeback last fall. The longtime consumer advocate-cum-Bill Gates critic proved himself master of the sound bite, quipping "He is still in virtual reality" when Gates questioned Nader's motives. Moving beyond the spin war, Nader is lobbying the US government to use the power of its purse to preserve OS competition. If Nader is successful, 1998 will be the year of the other Just Say No campaign - Just Say No to Windows.
__ The Nerd Word War __
The New York publishing industry has caught Silicon Valley fever, with houses scurrying to sign writers and writers scrambling for fat advances. Former Wired contributor John Heilemann landed US$1.2 million for his HarperCollins title on the Valley. Ersatz entrepreneur Michael Wolff signed with Simon & Schuster for $250,000, say publishing insiders, and Wired executive editor Kevin Kelly received $420,000 from Viking. Netscape cofounder Jim Clark signed with St. Martin's Press before the mania (and the advances) took off, but as he discovered, the early bird doesn't always get the worm.
__ Still Above the Crowd __
Bill Gurley is in no rush. "I'm trying to find the right deals in a market where there's a lot of capital running around," says venture capital's hottest newcomer. Gurley, who became an industry name as an Internet analyst at investment bank Deutsche Morgan Grenfell and as the author of "Above the Crowd," a column published by CNET and Fortune, joined Hummer Winblad last summer. Why the jump? Under pressure to promote companies their bank is underwriting, analysts no longer offer unbiased investment advice. Freed from this conflict of interest, Gurley the VC is more than ever the analyst to watch.
__ Parenting CNET __
CNET, the red-inked and rosy-cheeked new-media venture, desperately needs to grow up - and desperately hopes Robin Wolaner can teach it how. Wolaner built her rep in old media when she founded Parenting magazine. Now, as executive vice president for technology publishing, she oversees CNET's core services: Cnet.com, Computers.com, Download.com, and News.com. She's also focusing on profitability - the "terrible twos" of the new-media industry.
__ Fallen Apples __
Ellen Hancock, the former executive vice president and CTO at Apple who was forced out last summer along with CEO Gil Amelio, is interviewing with a handful of Silicon Valley companies. And like the rest of the Valley, she's also Apple-watching. For the record, Hancock disapproves of the company's decision to kill cloning. "It shows fear, not strength," says the fearless, if jobless, Hancock. As Apple's late-1997 SEC filing made clear, "Golden Parachute" Gil won't need a new job anytime soon.
