THE ON-LINE POPULATION
At the end of 1999, the United States had 110,825,000 Internet users or 43% of the worldwide total and is expected to lead the world in e-commerce sales this year. The chart below lists the top ten nations of Internet users and their rank in the top ten for e-commerce sales. All sales are shown in U.S. dollars (billions).

Users e-Commerce Rank/Sales
United States: 110,825,000. 1. $488
Japan: 18,156,000. 2. $31.9
United Kingdom: 18,156,000. 5. $17.2
Canada: 13,277,000. 4. $17.4
Germany: 12,285,000. 3. $20.6
Australia: 6,837,000. 8. $5.6 (tie)
Brazil: 6,790,000.
China: 6,308,000.
France: 5,696,000. 6. $9.9
South Korea: 5,688,000. 8. $5.6 (tie)
The other top ten e-commerce counties are Italy at number 7 ($7.2 sales) and Taiwan (10) with an estimated $4.1 in e-commerce revenues. (Sources: PC Magazine, 6/6/2000 and InfoWorld, 5/15/2000).

ERROR MESSAGES WRITTEN IN HAIKU
Here are some examples of error messages written in the 17-syllable Japanese Haiku style. Authors are unknown. (Source: CIO Magazine, 3/15/2000)

A file that big?
It might be very useful.
But now it is gone.

You seek a website.
It cannot be located.
Countless more exist.

Chaos reigns within.
Stop, reflect and reboot.
Order shall return.

First snow, then silence.
This thousand-dollar screen dies.
So beautifully.

With searching comes loss.
The presence of absence.
"June Sales.doc" not found.

Stay the patient course.
Of little worth is your ire.
The network is down.

You step in the stream
But the water has moved on.
Page not found.

Serious error.
All shortcuts have disappeared.
Screen. Mind. Both are blank.

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Technology Tidbits is published monthly by Jerry Price, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
© 2000 Jerry W. Price

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