Whatever happened to all those dot-coms, anyway?

It's the late 1990s, and this cash-machine network has just been spun off from its parent bank -- which means it needs a new billing system, says an IT pilot fish working there.

"Losing all the 'big bank' structures -- along with the related policies and procedures -- made the ATM organization seem like a dot-com," fish says.

"So rather than taking the time to push detailed contracts for the billing system through their legal department and that of the software house that was going to develop it, a purchase order was cut. The PO was for time and materials -- including travel and living expenses for consultants to fly into town. They didn't eat at McDonalds while they were here, that was for sure.

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