etc...

NOW YOU'RE GETTING PERSONAL

Let's say you live in a little town that has few resources. And an eccentric millionaire wills his fortune for the public's use - on one condition: that closely guarded details of everyone's private life be disclosed in a community meeting first. Would you object, even if that meant forfeiting the cash? They did in Afitos, Greece, where Yiannis Katsanis left $5 million to build a hospital, provided his documentation of neighbors' affairs was read aloud in the square. The consensus: no way. Eventually, lawyers for the town persuaded a court to strike the clause, and the bequest will go to its intended recipient.

Internet usage reached record levels in October as 115 million Americans went online, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. The total represents a 4 percent increase from September and a 15 percent jump from the same period last year. In addition, more than 176 million Americans, or 62 percent of the population, had access to the Web, a jump from 57 percent a year ago, the rating service estimated. The biggest growth came in sites devoted to the home and fashion. Top Web properties for the week ending Nov. 4, the most recent available, and the number of unique visitors for each (in millions):

1. AOL/Time Warner 39.3

2. Yahoo! 31.6

3. MSN 28.9

4. Microsoft 10.0

5. Lycos Network 9.4

6. eUniverse Network 7.8

7. eBay 7.5

8. Disney Internet Group 7.3

9. Excite@Home 7.2

10. Google 6.9

- Associated Press