Information Research Weblog

A Happy New Year to everyone - a little late. I'd expected to put up this message yesterday, but somehow the day got away from me.

What do information management and information technology hold for us in 2004 I wonder? The hot money appears to be on lots of money going into mobile data, but I have my doubts about how many people will actually be willing to buy Web services that pop up on the little 'phone screen. I suspect an attack of technology push.

I see that we have to call Berners-Lee, "Sir Tim" in future. I wonder why he bothered? Strange that someone responsible for what is probably the greatest technological 'leveller' - in the sense of giving practically anybody a voice, would accept a symbol of the British class system. Perhaps he was being ironic.

A ZDNet poll suggests that US 'Chief Information Officers' (i.e., IT Directors) forsee a slight increase in spending in 2004. That is, if Afghanistan or Iraq, Syria, Iran, or North Korea, or whatever turns out to be the next Christian fundamentalist target, doesn't turn nasty and lead to a rapid fall in the stock market.

Happy New Year everyone.