Obligatory 2005 Predictions

Roll out the crystal ball, it's time to guess what trends and events will come for 2005.

Here's a random mix...

The term SOA will have been beaten to death and the software industry will invent or recycle some equally vague term to replace it.The term has zero differentiation value at this point and marketing teams across the globe are looking to coin a replacement that will give them something more interesting to say about their middleware than "we move messages around really well." If "Business Agents" become the buzzword de l'année, I expect Mary Jo Foley to hunt me down and kill me.

from Don Box's Yet Another 2005 Prediction List

Less Macromedia Flash

Flash seems to be slipping further and further away from relevance. Whereas at one time most new sites would involve Flash somewhere along the line, it now only seems to crop up for kids sites, streaming video, and advertising. Perhaps I’m wrong, but these days it seems very labour intensive for very little gain.

from All in the Head's Predictions for 2005

Oil will stay high, forcing every airline company out of business save JetBlue and Southwest.

Sound far-fetched? United, Delta, AMR Corp., US Airways, and even Continental can’t handle a big uptick in oil with their crummy balance sheets. If oil stays high, they could—and should—all fold. JetBlue and Southwest will then divide the gates and become extremely profitable ventures.

from the New York Metro

I believe the "open content" concept is going to enter the public consciousness more fully this year.

Currently, the concept is understood by only a handful of people online; by the end of the year, "open content" could be nearly as much a common buzzword as "open source" is now.

from So Many Predict So Much, Wired News

Bye-Bye, Gates

Bill Gates retires from Microsoft and devotes himself to his worldwide philanthropy efforts.

from PC Magazine

Embrace Authenticity

Who wants to serve Velveeta to guests when you can offer handcrafted cheese made from local, organic dairy milk? Why wear clothes from the mall when you can purchase the handiwork of a local designer-U.S.-made and sweatshop-free? Buying products with an aura of authenticity allows people to take control of their purchases so they truly know what they're getting. They can be unique and shop at businesses they feel akin to politically, ethically and aesthetically.

from Hot Trends for 2005, Entrepreneur.com

What are some of your predictions for the new year?