The year 2001 will see enormous changes that will impact business, society and the individual, leading to a need for "The E-Ideal": enthusiasm for change.

Absa must be applauded for its gutsy move to boldly go where others have failed so miserably. Free Internet access has proven a little too much of a money-drainer for most investors in the past.

This week: Young hackers escape the short arm of the law, it`s round two for Melissa, an Internet worm confirms that hackers love noodles, and some good news for a change.

Last week saw the eventual arrival of Arivia.kom, the disposal of Infracom by CCH, and the closure of Keystone Information Services.

Staff turnover in SA is as high as ever, and while new blood brings new ideas, there can also be detrimental implications when turnover is constant and excessive.

The year 2000 brought much innovation, if not as much invention, to the banquet of available IT products and services. Some changes were radical, while others had long been anticipated.

This week: The year is still young, but viruses are already causing havoc. Also: The top 10 viruses in the world at the moment, and the spectre of cyber-terrorism raises its head again.

The major sell-off by Accord Technologies and Telkom`s ongoing sagas dominated local IT news headlines last week.

Fought out between Sony, Sega, and Nintendo, the console wars have been bloody, tooth-and-nail battles. Now Microsoft wants some action.

The FBI has announced the completion of InfraGard, its joint initiative with big business in the US, aimed at combating cybercrime by encouraging companies to share information about Internet attacks.

In the first 2001 issue of Booth`s Bytes, columnist Paul Booth says the year promises to move at an extremely fast rate.

Despite promising to deliver reduced total cost of ownership, thin clients were never as successful as predicted. Jason Norwood-Young tries to figure out why.

Security Patrol kicks off this with a preview of what we`re likely to see occur in the domain of information security, unless we apply the lessons we learnt in 2000.