PPT Slide

Greetings, Gentle Reader.

This is a web-based set of transparencies I used for the keynote talk I gave at the ICIS Conference in Brisbane on December 11, 2000. A number of people at the meeting asked if they could have copies of the transparencies. This is the easiest way to get them out.

These transparencies are, at best, props. For those who care to try to read along, I have included the notes for the transparencies. Forgive me if they are not intelligible to you -- there were times in the talk they were not very intelligible to me. Some transparencies are blank (or, actually, black). These are intentional pauses in the talk. Some have notes attached.

There are many graphics in this set of transparencies. Nearly all were taken from WWW sources. None have been used with permission, although I did take care not to use any material that was explicitly flagged as copyrighted. Use them at your own risk.

A number of colleagues helped me a lot with the preparation of this talk. At one point, I sent out a message to a select set of people asking for their inputs regarding important developments in technology, and especially in IT, during the latter half of the 20th century. I was looking for technologies that proved to be surprising in their reach and impact, in the way that Herman HollerithÅfs appropriation of the Jaquard loom technology for information processing changed the world. Walt Scacchi gave me the idea to use the SAGE system, which I focused on in the talk, so IÅfm much indebted to him. There were many other great ideas. I have attached an appendix to the talk to thank the folks who helped me and to list the suggestions they made.

I want to thank Wanda Orlikowski and Peter Weill for inviting me to give this talk at ICIS. It was a great honor to be asked.