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Technology Stocks : Novell (NOVL) dirt cheap, good buy? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ToySoldier who wrote (31022)	4/12/2000 12:20:00 AM
From: Captain Jack	Respond to of 42771

Toy -- <<"Thats all they need is getting advice from all us.">> it seems they need some advice from somewhere from the recent price retreat. Eric stated shareholder equity was a prime goal-- and in that respect is failing miserably,, All in time,, esp in such ugly mkts,, but patience is not one of my strong suits,,,LOL!!!!! I'll go too. But not to ski,, wonder if there is anything else to do there. Always thought NOVL should do well as employees could not have much else to do but work in that area,,,;-]---

To: ToySoldier who wrote (31022)	4/12/2000 9:29:00 AM
From: waldemar cyranski	Respond to of 42771

ToySoldier, First, Thanks for taking my suggestion seriously. Free random advice is classically not manageable, such as reading the postings on SI. However, I think it is more than evident that Novl management is having problems from the prespective of its stockholders. Most dont have a forum to express their concerns except to either sell or express their concerns through the NEW leveler"THE INTERNET" Isnt it ironic that Novl. is trying to become a factor in this new tool? During my career I have experienced "advisory committees" that worked. The manner in which they are formed and named is as important as the final advice they may offer. Obviously, such action is very dangerous to the welfare of all subordinate executives that in many cases are part of the original problem. I think that Paul F. is a fabulous candidate for pulling this idea together(unless he is now an employee?)sice Eric S. has spoken with him regarding issues of concern to all of us. This effort with the right assembly could easily become a classic study for a PHD candidate in business school...."Internet brings stockholders/management together in advisory capacity to turn billion dollar software ect. ect. company around" Perhaps the "technical/management advice in confidence" is the key to this effort? Not every one that posts here or their associates may wish to be visible in a committee format. But, that too could be worked out to everyones satisfaction. Ego is always a ceo's biggest hurdle. I dont know anything about Eric. S. so I have no comment, however I do know from history how a brilliant talent like Bunky Knudsen from General Motors ended up FAILING as president of Ford.........because he was eaten up by subordinate management. Why? Because he arrived with his credentials, sterling as they were, and a secretary and an aide! When Iaccoca, then a subordinate at Ford's during that period left Ford and took over Chrysler, he came with half of Fords management team (his) and turned Chrysler around! The rest is history....Iaccoca, also managed to rearrange the Board of Dir. So Eric S. does really need help desperately. WE have a choice, either sell our positions, sit by and wait a year or more for another manipulated stock run up, or try and help our investment by initiating an effort as originally suggested. My god, I can just visualize FS giving an opening remarks pep talk to the committee.GO GO <ggg> Thanks again for the opportunity to express my thoughts. Down to 1000 shares at cost of 23.....Regards, Waldy P.S. would someone please tell me how I can write these messages without every sentence being a wrap around??

To: ToySoldier who wrote (31022)	4/12/2000 6:36:00 PM
From: PJ Strifas	Respond to of 42771

Forget Jacuzzis folks - E-Tailers Seen Going Out of Business in Droves April 12, 2000 3:53 pm EST NEW YORK (Reuters) - The combination of weak financial structure, mounting competitive pressures and investor flight will drive most Web retailers out of business by 2001, a leading Internet research firm said in a report. Even so, cocksure Web retailers are brushing off predictions of their impending doom, insisting that it is only a matter of time before the tide that has already washed out a handful of them starts to turn in their favor again, said the report issued by Forrester Research Inc. (FORR.O). After interviewing 50 electronic-commerce players, Internet analyst Joe Sawyer and his colleagues at the Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester, concluded a drastic shakeout is coming soon. The latest evidence that dot-com retailers are struggling to stay afloat came earlier this month when auditors for Web grocer Peapod Inc. (PPOD.O), online health firm drkoop.com Inc. (KOOP.O) and Web music retailer CDNow Inc. (CDNW.O) questioned each company's ability to continue as a going concern. "Online retail's honeymoon is over," Sawyer said. "In the past three months, familiar names like Beyond.com (Corp.(BYND.O)) and CyberShop closed their doors to consumers, Amazon.com (Inc. (AMZN.O)) and Boo.com laid off employees and Wall Street hammered the stock prices of dot-com leaders." "This isn't temporary turbulence," he said. He said Internet retailers are being squeezed as their profit margins on sales fall and their expenses rise. Competition will also intensify, as traditional retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT.N) and Toys R Us Inc. (TOY.N) get their second wind and pursue major Internet initiatives, while financial support will flounder as investors and venture capitalists lose interest, he predicted. "Online merchants that smugly insist their brands and site design translate into financial assets will only fan the flames of investor scorn when profits don't materialize," he said. In addition, Forrester predicted consolidation among product categories in three stages: the "critical" stage, which includes books, music and software; the "intensive care" stage, which includes pets, toys and consumer electronics; and the "stable" stage, which harbors apparel furniture and shoes. "Retail has endured consolidation before," Sawyer said. "These battles produced no more than three dominant victors -- enough players to keep their industries competitive yet still profitable." Still, few of the retailers interviewed said they were concerned with profitability, as less than 40 percent said they expected to be out of the red before 2002. Many of them are convinced that to focus on profitability would cloud their ability to establish leadership in the market. So where exactly do these companies expect to get the funds to keep their businesses afloat? Sawyer said money from independent and institutional investors is thinning out, as are funds from venture capitalists. "Dot-com entrepreneurs tapped eager investors for millions, planted flags in new categories from pets to perfume, and blew their budgets on marketing chatter," Sawyer said. "Wall Street loved it...But the tide is turning against dot-coms." And more than one-third of the companies interviewed did not know where they were going to get additional funding.

To: ToySoldier who wrote (31022)	4/12/2000 10:07:00 PM
From: Paul Fiondella	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 42771

Just got back to New York today I want to thank all of the Novell engineers that I met for their gracious hospitality. I learned a great deal from everyone. It was exciting to be around intelligent people from the computer industry again. The same kind of excitement I get whenever I travel to Silicon Valley but Utah's mountains are more spectacular. I can see why the word "scale" means something there. It's a beautiful place to live and work. I especially want to thank Scott Lemon. He is one terrific talented guy. I really think some of the people that post here do not understand what Scott is all about. He is really very very concerned about the hard working engineers at Novell and their future. He has worked hard both inside and outside the company to have the right things happen for them. He joined Novell in 1986. He knows everyone. I'm only disappointed that he wasn't given a chance to really exercise his talents within the company. I think Novell made a great mistake in not letting him make things happen for them. Incidentally Scott and I drive exactly the same model car, right down to the year, color and the sunroof. How's that for coincidence. I kept trying to put my rental car key in his doorlock. Senile old bastard. For those of you that want to take a vacation in Utah and particularly those that want a real Western experience and have children that enjoy horseback riding, I recommend the WindWalker Ranch. Its about 70 miles south of Provo in Spring City Utah. The head wrangler is named Jeff. He comes from a family that helped found Spring City. (As he put it, Brigham Young couldn't get any of these Mormons to follow the rules. So he sent them down there and left them for the Indians to take care of. Didn't work.) He and his fellow cowboys love riding, they love horses and they love to ride back into the mountain wilderness. Jeff's dog Squeak has one lame back leg. She stepped on a cedar twig and caught it in her front paw and that put two of her legs out of commission. But that didn't stop Squeak. She chased after the rabbits on two legs. Have you ever seen a dog run on two legs? My last night in Utah, I took my wife to dinner at the Stein Ericksen Lodge in Park City. Toysoldier, if you want to get that little advisory committee together over dinner --- that's the place. PS. When Eric's wife asked me if I travelled with techie gear to Utah like all techies to keep connected to the internet, the answer was no computer, no working cell phone, and no New York Times for most of the trip. I did show her my new cowboy boots. PS1. What the hell did you guys do to the NASDAQ while I was gone!