This issue of the magazine is dominated by predictions for 2010 and beyond. There are more on the web site, including my own. I want to take the opportunity to thank all those who have responded to my call for predictions, which yet again have been a very popular item on the SCL web site and which, yet again, are intriguing and amusing. As for those of you who did not respond to my invitation this year, I predict that will not stop me asking you next year.
Predictions may be the most obvious feature of this issue but it is by no means all that is of interest. I think that two of the IT law articles, from Christopher Kuner and Professor Lilian Edwards are genuinely important contributions to crucial debates and I notice that others, especially those from Laura Hatherley and Peter Church, Mike Conradi and Dominic Cullis, have attracted a lot of interest in their web site versions.
SCL Developments and Events
SCL will see a change among the line-up of SCL Trustees. Kit Burden of DLA Piper is stepping down after many years of contributing to SCL’s development. His lasting legacy includes the high profile that the Society retains among outsourcing lawyers – he has been largely responsible for a large number of SCL events and conferences focusing on outsourcing and his contributions to the magazine in that field have been greatly appreciated.
The new Trustee is Gillian Cordall of Maclay Murray & Spens, who has been Chair of the Internet Group for some time and a much valued member of the SCL Media Board. I offer her my congratulations. I look forward to Gillian bringing the same dynamism, plain-speaking and deep-seated knowledge of Internet law and practice to Trustee meetings that she has brought to the many Media Board meetings we have both attended. It could be invigorating for all concerned!
The coming year will see no shortage of SCL events. Many of the details are just too late for this issue but exciting prospects include the SCL Lecture for 2010 from an Indian perspective, with Samuel Mani Kallupurakal of Infosys lined up as speaker for March, a half-day event on partnership and outsourcing to coincide with the Annual Lecture and the 2010 Information Governance Conference in May. Of course there is the SCL Forum in September and the major SCL Conference in October to look forward to as well, but they remain some way off.
Web Site
My editorial for the December/January issue last year focused on the new web site and my hope that blogs and reader comments would transform the site into a more lively and interactive entity. It is has not happened quite like that, and certainly not as I hoped in my wilder moments, but it has gone pretty well.
I have not had to beat off potential bloggers with a smelly stick nor have I been woken from my slumbers by riotous exchanges between SCL members who are unable to agree on the finer points of data protection law. We have however seen a really massive increase in page views, visitors and hits and there are signs that SCL members are being tempted to share views and add truly valuable material by way of comments to articles. The exchange of views over William Patry’s lecture shows what can be achieved. I would certainly like to see more participation and it rather surprises me that some pieces, such as the Kuner and Edwards articles I mention above, have not provoked widespread debate. But I do greatly appreciate the contributions that have been made and the many positive comments that have been received about the site and the blog posts. Please keep them coming!
