Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : AUTOHOME, Inc -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Michaelth1 who wrote (23864)	7/25/2000 10:00:04 AM
From: Ahda	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 29970

Athm should begin to rise now on the coat tails of T. You can't self install until cable is available. biz.yahoo.com The pace of new installations for cable-telephone service, a major concern among those who've grown dubious about AT&T's $100 billion foray into cable, were averaging 1,600 per day at the end of the second quarter, up from 1,300 per day at the end of March. Strength in numbers and vision? Umg Athm et al.

To: Michaelth1 who wrote (23864)	7/25/2000 11:01:01 AM
From: GraceZ	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 29970

I tried to suggest (but heaven forbid anyone contest what ahhaha says) that problem one (management) can't be solved until AT&T (or whomever) steps in and wrestles control away from the puppets of the consortium of cable owners. T has effective control of the board and the company. T is the largest cable owner (surprise). In light of these two facts your above statement makes little sense. As for the slow rollout, I don't think that ATHM will succeed until they get self install kits. If truck rolls were the issue then there would be a back log of installs, correct? There is a wait list, but it is caused by the service not being available within the local loop in some neighborhoods. Do you understand the difference between these two types of problems? If truck rolls were the problem then your "solution" would make sense, yet it makes no sense in terms of the other issue, which is that nodes are not available where people want the service. No amount of self install will resolve that problem. >>In fact, I don't see how ATHM can meet its current estimates of sub growth without self installs.<<< This is clear, that you don't see how. Will self installs cause some technical problems? Of course; but I think that as more and more people use the self install process, the percentage of problems will drop (PCs will come cable modem ready; technicians will be able to walk people through fixes over the phone; web sites will crop up walking people through; people in general will adapt). If you've ever run a network you would understand the nightmare associated with people screwing around with their setup and hardware. You have to ask yourself this: If you were upgrading something on someone elses computer would you rather go in clean before they do anything or after they have already screwed around with it? Each problem on the local loop has a cumulative effect on the node and can bring down the performance of the whole loop....as has been discussed by ahhaha in several posts. What should ATHM do that AOL did? I'm not sure, but it's worth taking a look at. For one, AOL marketed the he%# out of itself and did anything else that it could to increase subs. AOL knows that once you reel a sub in, they most likely aren't leaving (the sub needs a reason to leave their precious e-mail address, etc.) unless something much better exists. Because AOL exists pretty much keeps another AOL from forming. ATHM is not the next "AOL", it is the first ATHM. Different beast in a completely different ecosystem. Never buy the "next" anything, buy the first something. I agree that there's a large amount of frustrated potential customers who want cable access (I don't think that they care if it's @Home or otherwise). I would be particularly unhappy if my ATHM turned into AOL cable access, so maybe your assessment is not quite acurate. I might still use it if I had no other choice, but I would vigorously investigate options. Right now even arguing this point is, well....pointless, because people don't have a choice in cable providers. What they have a choice in is dialup, DSL, cable or satelite and wireless. As for the deal they cut with their "owners" regarding the warrants, I think it was (as is often the case with ATHM) a good deal for the cable companies and a bad one for ATHM. I wonder how you can be so sure of that. It would be in T's interest to lose the other cable guys. You implied as much above. T has staked their future on this company....do you think they really want C&C on their board?

To: Michaelth1 who wrote (23864)	7/25/2000 12:30:59 PM
From: Solid	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 29970

What should ATHM do that AOL did? I'm not sure, but it's worth taking a look at. Why comment on it as though it is THE solution when you then make a statement such as that one??? For one, AOL marketed the he%# out of itself and did anything else that it could to increase subs. Are you suggesting ATHM market like crazy, not deliver because they are constrained by numbers of trained crews and succeed in frustrating the he%% out of even more people??? And they are marketing like HE&&. Today in the Hartford Courant there were about six pages of Cox Cable ads specific for @home and BB service. AOL knows that once you reel a sub in, they most likely aren't leaving (the sub needs a reason to leave their precious e-mail address, etc.) unless something much better exists. ATHM has that service. And the retention numbers are phenominal for cable BB already, yes ATHM knows this. Like zero churn rate for cable BB too. Same issue, how do you hookup faster? Anyone who doesn't think that ATHM competes with AOL is a dope. AOL has 25 (or so) million subs. ATHM has 1.8 million. ATHM wants AOL's subs. That's competition. Are you sure you wanted to make that statement? It is very self incriminating. The market and many ignorant analysts assume ATHM competes with AOL. They DO NOT. ATHM is not just an ISP. They are a network backbone with an ISP portal called Excite. By nature, for cable BB you don't just get a computer, plug in a phone line and advertise as an ISP. You build a new network with new technology and that takes time and money and has inherent risk and challenges. I could go on and on about this aspect to differentiate it for you, but that would be disrespectful of the years of effort stored within this threads history. Get a BB connection and read some of it. Mark my words, one day the market and analysts WILL start to get it and understand the unique position ATHM occupies. Does ATHM get it? That is one of the issues that has infuriated many of us here, they have been trying to ACT like AOL rather then exploiting what they ARE and HAVE. They could educate the public and WS, but they have to be clear themselves first on their mission. but heaven forbid anyone contest what ahhaha says You misinterpret Ah. He can be impatient at times with posters that demonstrate arrogance stemming from ignorance, but the man knows what he is discussing. His opinion, but one you disregard at your own risk. Try thinking of him as our resident in your face DI, self appointed but it makes for a very interesting and informative, high level discussion of this company and sector. Sparring with him may help to get the fat out of your brain, if your ego can stand it.