The Goat in the Python

Editor's Note: Please note that Ben's column, The Quiet Period, won't appear for the next several weeks for a very simple reason: There were no IPOs over the Christmas holidays, and therefore no expiring quiet periods this month. Look for the column again around mid-February, when January's deals begin coming out of the quiet period.

When we introduced this column last week, we received quite a lot of reader email. Much of it was complimentary; some was critical. The criticisms included two very clear directives: Make the table more forward-looking and put the relative numbers of shares, both for the current float and for the released shares, into some relevant context. I heard you and I'm on it.

IPOs: Join the discussion on TSC message boards. ...