Newsweek takes a closer look at the spate of recent dot-com flameouts, including Cook Express, Peapod, and Beyond.com:
– Newsweek.com: Dot-Coms Over a Barrel

FedEx founder Frederick W. Smith thinks that the majority of consumer dot-coms have vastly underestimated the costs and difficulties of delivering physical goods. If he’s right, the Standard’s Jonathan Weber writes, “the messy realities of the old economy

The Standard’s business-to-business conference attracts lots of B2B market makers, but very few buyers or sellers — those who would actually use the markets. How much of the B2B boom is really just hype? “Among the rosy predictions and case studies lurks a sense of uncertainty.… Read the rest

Here’s a worthwhile c!net analysis on how consumer heavyweights Yahoo, AOL, and eBay are getting into B2B — and what it might mean:
Net giants target business e-commerce

Everybody’s doing B2B now: aerospace and paper industries get into the act.
Four Largest Aerospace, Defense Firms Near Agreement to Form Web Venture (subscription site)
Largest U.S. Paper Firms Team Up To Launch Online Marketplace (subscription site)
Paper Companies Plan Online Marketplace

Afraid to stand up to the likes of Microsoft and RealNetworks, pussycat privacy-protection organization TRUSTe is trying to show it’s tough by beating up on MotherNature.com:
TRUSTe Cracks the Whip

Car buyer beware: It turns out that online sources for car pricing information, including Kelly Blue Book and Edmunds.com, may not have such accurate information after all — in fact, they often report prices hundreds of dollars higher than the SRP.… Read the rest

CompUSA’s new owners clean house, get rid of management responsible for Cozone.com debacle.
CNET.com – CompUSA names new CEO
WSJ Interactive CompUSA Announces a Shuffle Of Management as CEO Resigns (subscription required)

Petroleum Electronic Pricing Exchange, or PEPEX, will enable its participants to electronically negotiate sales at www.pepex.net, which is scheduled to begin trading products May 1.
Web Petroleum Marketplace Unveiled

Redherring.com – Shop Talk: Marine industry proves big B2B challenge- March 21, 2000