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Amazon Kept Laughing After Dot-Com Bust

E-tailer stays nimble as Yahoo, eBay trip into the future

By Wesley Oliver,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 20, 2008 4:45 PM CDT
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(Newser) – Yahoo, eBay, and Amazon emerged from the dot-com bust as a mighty triumvirate, but only Amazon has kept its mojo in the decade's latter stages, the Economist reports. Yahoo, the oldest of the lot at 14, shooed away Microsoft, surrendered part of its business to Google, and failed to stay current. It survives, “but on the web’s equivalent of life support."

EBay enjoyed a cult following, but has since alienated users and suffered declines—and the e-auctioneer seems unlikely to steer toward a brighter future. Amazon, meantime, hasn’t lost its luster—or its founder. Jeff Bezos has stuck to his original vision, adding key revisions with pioneering bravado. “Bezos is right where he wants to be,” the Economist concludes.

Yahoo's biggest mistake, says one web consultant, was not staying current with the direction of the web. It was so bent on being the future, he says, that it missed the new.
Yahoo's biggest mistake, says one web consultant, was not staying current with the direction of the web. It was "so bent on being the future," he says, that it "missed the new."   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, file)
Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang, criticized by some shareholders for rejecting Microsoft's takeover bid, could be ousted at an August shareholder meeting.
Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang, criticized by some shareholders for rejecting Microsoft's takeover bid, could be ousted at an August shareholder meeting.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
Ebay became a de facto monopoly, the Economist says, but with that came a culture that left many of its users disenchanted, and growth slowed.
Ebay became a de facto monopoly, the Economist says, but with that came a culture that left many of its users disenchanted, and growth slowed.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, file)
EBay's Chief Executive John Donahoe is not facing a crisis like Yahoo!'s, but neither does he appear to have a big idea for the future, the Economist says.
EBay's Chief Executive John Donahoe is not facing a crisis like Yahoo!'s, but neither does he appear to have a big idea for the future, the Economist says.   (AP Photo/eBay, ho)
Amazon.com is the only one of the three internet giants that has been led continuously by the same man, its founder and chairman Jeff Bezos.
Amazon.com is the only one of the three internet giants that has been led continuously by the same man, its founder and chairman Jeff Bezos.   (AP Photo)
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In wake of turmoil, Yahoo shakes up its business
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Yahoo • Google • Internet • eBay • Jerry Yang • Jeff Bezos • John Donahoe • Amazon

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