View source for Fathom Knowledge Network

The '''Fathom Knowledge Network''' (or '''Fathom''', or '''Fathom.com''') was a hilariously unsuccessful for-profit online education project into which Columbia sunk $30 million over 4 years just as the dot-com boom turned into a bust. Having essentially pulled the equivalent of throwing venture capital into a dot-com bust, Columbia quietly pulled out and swore never to speak of the incident again.

In retrospect, particularly hilarious moments included highly defensive letters to the editor from [[Provost]] [[Jonathan Cole]], and director of Fathom Anne Kirschner, who indignantly wrote "To the Editor: I held a mirror up to my nose before writing this ... just to make sure I am still breathing."

In a related note, [[Anne Rollow Sullivan]] was named [[EVP]] for Finance in September 2007. Sullivan's prior experience included a stint as vice president for strategic development and marketing for Fathom. 

Visitors to Fathom.com today will find the text:

<blockquote>The educational resources formerly available at fathom.com are no longer being maintained and have been taken offline. <br />
The fathom.com domain is not available for sale. <br />
All other inquiries should be directed to the Center for Digital Research and Scholarship at Columbia University (info@cdrs.columbia.edu).</blockquote>

In conclusion, it is hard to fathom how and why Columbia sunk such unfathomable funds into Fathom.

==External links==
*http://columbiaspectator.com/node/5105
*http://columbiaspectator.com/node/6617
*http://columbiaspectator.com/node/6698
*http://columbiaspectator.com/node/6703
*http://columbiaspectator.com/node/6741
*http://columbiaspectator.com/node/6969
*http://columbiaspectator.com/node/8775
*http://columbiaspectator.com/node/8778
*http://columbiaspectator.com/node/8884
*http://columbiaspectator.com/node/11292
*http://columbiaspectator.com/node/11351
*http://columbiaspectator.com/node/11370
*http://columbiaspectator.com/node/12350
*http://columbiaspectator.com/node/26460

*http://www.spectrum.columbiaspectator.com/2000/05/10/columbia-launches-distance-learning-ventures
*http://media.columbiaspectator.com/2001/01/29/committee-reports-fathoms-difficulties
*http://media.columbiaspectator.com/2001/02/05/university-defends-its-spending-fathom
*http://www.blogs.columbiaspectator.com/2001/02/05/fathomcom-viable-technological-opportunity-distance-learning
*http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2001/02/07/fathoming-where-money-goes
*http://www.wiki.columbiaspectator.com/2001/02/26/senate-fails-form-fathom-committee
*http://116.columbiaspectator.com/2001/12/03/columbia-reaffirms-commitment-fathom
*http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2001/12/03/staff-editorial-fathom-revisited
*http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2001/12/07/letters-editor
*http://eyedev.columbiaspectator.com/2002/04/24/senate-report-critical-fathomcom
*http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2003/01/30/digitalia-columbiana
*http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2003/01/27/fathomcom-shuts-down-columbia-withdraws

[[Category:Financial scandals]]
[[Category:Defunct websites]]
[[Category:IT scandals]]