The document discusses the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s, when stock prices of internet-related companies surged abnormally due to high demand and investment. Many companies entered the internet space hoping to capitalize on new business models enabled by online commerce and communication technologies. However, stock prices collapsed after 2000 due to the Federal Reserve raising interest rates and the September 11th attacks, forcing many dot-com companies into bankruptcy and increasing unemployment in the US IT sector. While countries like Ireland saw economic growth during the boom, the bubble's collapse did not have a decisive negative impact and helped advance other economies like India's software industry.