Depending on what (if any) news breaks over the Christmas and New Year period I may well update the site -- so check if you log on during that period.

The first scheduled publication date for next year is Wednesday the 3rd of January 2001.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank all my readers for their continued patronage as Aardvark moves towards its seventh year of online publication.

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The Year That Was
What a wild year this has been for the Internet industry and users.

Not only have we seen the value of tech industries soar to unbelievable and unsustainable highs -- we've also seen them fall to earth with such a thud that many simply didn't survive the impact.

While we regularly see lists of "the top 20 Net rip-offs" published by news sites -- none of the pyramid schemes, free credit card offers, opportunities to help the Nigerian government release some of its funds, or other shonky online scams came anywhere near close to matching the way investors fooled themselves over the value of Net stocks.

Locally, we've seen broadband solutions such as satellite, wireless and ADSL gradually pick up momentum, albeit the vast majority of Net users are still crawling along at dial-up speeds.

NZ-based web content has improved with the maturing of offerings from the NZ Herald and TVNZ plus the addition of INL's Stuff.co.nz. Some broadcasters still haven't got it right though and I find the TV3 website to be an atrocious misuse of Flash that works at best intermittently and most of the time not at all.

I think we're still a bit light on Net personalities though. The few well known names such as Russell Brown, Nigel Horrocks, etc., still seem to get little exposure in the mainstream media -- something I find very surprising given the significance that the Net is having on most people's lives and the way it is already forcing the old media to update its ideas.

From a personal perspective I'm afraid I didn't get even close to doing all the things I wanted to do. My notebook of "great ideas" grows ever thicker as I deal with the mundane task of earning enough to pay the mortgage. There are so many opportunities still out there on the Net that it's a constant disappointment to me that there are only 24 hours in a day and that I have to waste at least four or five of them by falling asleep.

Unfortunately, because it is already well on the way to becoming a mature industry, the days when one person can turn a bright idea into a successful online venture without the benefit of vast sums of investment capital are all but over. Just as the chance to build a fortune from a computer or software built in a backyard garage faded once IBM and Microsoft became significant forces in those markets, the chance to become another ICQ, HotDog, or HotMail have all but faded into history.

However, as one set of opportunities pass, a new set come into view. If the government can ramp up its efforts to legitimise New Zealand as a credible player in the New Economy then we could do very nicely next year.

If not then I'm afraid we'll likely suffer on the fallout of a strengthening dollar and a significant contraction in the US economy as a result of the reality check presently being experienced by stupid, greedy investors.

Fingers crossed for the New Year!

Have a safe and enjoyable Christmas!

Aardvark

Aardvark Weekly, Have You Got Yours?
Yes, it's still trickling out -- but the Aardvark Weekly subscription list has grown enormously over the past two weeks which has required a bit of a change to the back-end here so there's still going to be a few who haven't received the latest edition. My apologies.

If you want to subscribe, just drop me a note and I'll put you on the list.

As always, your feedback is welcomed and...

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