Cries & Whispers.(News Briefs)

Voices of the Industry

"The problem with XML is like that old Saturday Night Live commercial spoof where they were saying a product was a floor wax and a dessert topping. XML facilitates universal plug n' play on a PC and exchanges information between corporations."

-David Turner, Microsoft Corp.

"At parties (in Silicon Valley) the question is no longer: when is your IPO or how many options do you have? Instead they talk about the quality of a company and its achievements."

-Artie Wu, chief executive and founder of Vividence, a start-up that evaluates Web-site designs, as quoted in The Economist, Oct. 5, 2000.

"Nothing has changed …