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

To: GraceZ who wrote (24926)	8/24/2000 1:11:38 PM
From: Michaelth1	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 29970

Now if you and I decide to have a foot race around the block to see who is faster, is this competition and where is the third party? The definition of competition in Merriam also includes "a contest between rivals" which would encompass your example. This is a much broader definition which also illustrates how AOL and ATHM are in competition. Nonetheless, I choose the use the more narrow definition since it applies moreso to the business world. Why? Because competition in the business world always includes a third party (the lack of a third party is called a monopoly). Contrary to ahhaha, @Home does not have a monopoly on the ISP business or even broadband. Check out DSL install rates (I know, I know, that isn't supposed to matter since @Home is inherently better than DSL; but can someone show me stats of DSL subs that migrate to cable?). Let me give some examples of 3rd parties (i.e., the customer): Party 1: @Home Party 2: AOL Party 3: Customers wanting to access the Internet and who are willing to pay for it. Party 1: Excite Party 2: AOL Party 3: Customers looking for content on the Internet. Contrary to ahhaha's contention, companies (in the real world) don't strive to be "the best" just for the heck of it. They do so to head off competitors in order to make more money. That's why Microsoft strives to be the best, money. That's why opening up government-owned monopolies almost always eventually results in improvements in that field.