<h1 class="pip">The New Robber Barons</h1>
<h2 class="pulp8">IT Has Become an Offensive Weapon for Business</h2>
<p><em>By Robert X. Cringely</em></p>
<p>In the 1980s, we called them "corporate raiders." In the 1880s, we
called them "robber barons" -- guys like Daniel Drew, Jay Gould, and
Jim Fisk, who were the Ivan Boeskys and Michael Milkens of their era.
No matter what the century, their game was the same, using other
people's money to take control of businesses and build empires.
Sometimes it was legal, often it wasn't, but on the whole they got away
with it, though at some cost to society. We'll get ready to go through
it all again as a new era of robber barons begins, this time based
primarily on the aggressive use of Information Technology.<br>
</p>
<p>Read more at:<br>
</p>
<a href="http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20050804.html">http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20050804.html</a><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Rupert Russell<br>School of Education<br>University of Ballarat<br>PO Box 663 Ballarat
<br>Victoria 3353<br>AUSTRALIA<br><br>Ph. +613 5327 9965<br>Fax. +613 5327 9717<br>e-mail: <a href="mailto:r.russell@ballarat.edu.au">r.russell@ballarat.edu.au</a><br><a href="http://velorum.ballarat.edu.au/~rrussell">http://velorum.ballarat.edu.au/~rrussell
</a><br><br>