Unlikely IT Predictions for 2004; Seven Little Words; Hot and Not in '04

Seven Little Words for 2004 (or, How to Survive the PC* Revolution) *as in politically correct

Los Angeles County has requested that computer vendors avoid using the blatantly pejorative terms master and slave. As an homage to George Carlin's "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television," we bring you our "Seven Tech Terms You Can Never Say or Type," along with their politically correct replacements.

#7: Joystick-- Tactile input device

#6: Daemon-- Spiritual liaison

#5: Orphan file-- Parentally underrepresented file

#4: Fat electrons-- Horizontally challenged electrons#3: Man pages-- Person pages

#2: Kill-- Neutralize or render reposed

#1: Touch, finger, et al-- Just forget about using these words altogether

Hot and Not in '04
Our editors tell you what will and won't be hot in the year ahead.Steven J. Schuchart Jr.
Hot: Information Life-cycle Management. I understand it sorts laundry.
Not: HSM rebranded as Information Life-cycle Management.

Dave Molta
Hot: Smartphones with integrated voice and data capabilities.
Not: Enterprise adoption of 802.11a.

Brad Shimmin
Hot: RFID--but only if someone comes out with a personal RFID-disabling Electro Magnetic Pulse burst-mode device.
Not: Technolitigation (we're just waiting for SCO to sue itself).

Greg Shipley
Hot: Companies that make money.
Not: Companies that don't.

Lori MacVittie
Hot: Everything on a USB stick. The more you wear around your neck, the higher your geek factor.
Not: Cell phones with cameras. If Joel Conover takes one more picture of me in the lab with his phone ... .For more hot and not picks, check out www.nwc.com/go/hot.jhtml.

Find more Last Mile items and submit your entries for upcoming issues at www.nwc.com/go/lmile.html.