Tech Bits.(A)(Internet & Technology)

Rumors Take On New Weight

Thanks In Part To The Internet

Investors beware. These dog days in the stock market mean that even the most trivial event can take on a life of its own.

Just ask the folks at BroadVision Inc. The value of their stock dropped almost 15% in one day recently after an analyst noted that a large client had discontinued plans to expand part of its business-to-business e-commerce program.

The customer, a division of GE Elect

ric Co., decided to defer launching a single Web site. The fact that GE operates hundreds of Web sites, many of which use BroadVision's B2B software, got lost in the shuffle. Online news …