tcpn8 - 8:51 pm on Aug 11, 2005 (gmt 0)

Janet, can't comment on your experience but I know a whole lot of folks who have used alibaba to source stuff from china and have found it to be very helpful and more importantly profitable......

In reality though I don't think yahoo has a huge interest in alibaba but instead are much more interested in taobao.com the online auction site as well as management's experince of operating sites in China. It seems like a way for them to get an insider's perspective and know how, without getting their hands dirty.....

probably a very smart move considering their current position. Although I will say something tells me they are over paying considering how hot china is.....