Jim Barksdale, the Silicon Valley venture capitalist who previously headed Netscape Communications Corp., is set to make a $100 million donation to the state of Mississippi to use for reading and literacy programs. Online media network CNET Inc. said Thursday it will acquire the closely held online comparison shopping firm mySimon.com Inc. for about $700 million in stock to boost its electronic-commerce offerings. Mixed earnings and acquisitions were the order of the day for Internet stocks at midday Thursday as the sector continued to tread water. Spanish-language online retail pioneer Espanol.com said on Thursday it will give television programmer Telemundo Network a minority equity stake in exchange for $3 million worth of advertising and promotion. Omega Research Inc. , which provides online analytical financial tools, and Internet broker OnlineTradinginc.com Corp. said on Thursday they agreed to merge in a $300 million stock deal to create a full service platform for online traders. More e-commerce and ``traditional'' media firms are likely to follow the merger trail blazed by America Online Inc and Time Warner Inc, but ego could stand in the way of some possible hook-ups, Credit Suisse First Boston's chief U.S. investment strategist said on Thursday. Internet media software company RealNetworks Inc. said on Thursday it was partnering with BackWeb Technologies Ltd. , a maker of so-called ''push'' technology, to send music to computers over the Web. In a move to align Internet advertising businesses controlled by CMGI Inc. , Engage Technologies Inc. will buy Adsmart and Flycast Communications Corp. in a stock deal worth about $2.6 billion, the companies said on Thursday. Consumers handed an estimated $30 billion over to Internet sites last year, a sign that a lot of people have lost their fears about shopping online. Ameritrade Holding Corp. , the No. 6 U.S. Internet brokerage, on Wednesday posted a smaller-than-expected loss for the fiscal first quarter and revenues more than doubled, boosted by a successful advertising campaign.