Inspired by Possibilities
Looking at the past, present, and potential of business technology.
The stories of how different types of information systems that we take for granted today were first invented and then evolved over the years are often as fascinating as the development of more popular technology like the computer, the mobile phone, social media, the Internet, and AI, yet with the exception of the more personable chatbot they are much less talked about because they often work invisibly behind the scenes - my favourite place - without the glamour of a flashy aluminum framework, glossy gorilla glass touch screen, or colourful photo galleries.
Information systems have ridden the various waves of technological development over the years, including each of the above and wavelets like mobile-first, cloud, and Big Data, and now face their most significant turning point since the popularisation of the Internet in 1994 and, before that, the first PCs on the market in 1974. This writing aims to pay homage to the monumental work of the innovators who have developed them to this date, to briefly reflect on the current state of the art, and to consider the potential of what they might become in the future with agentic AI.
Recommenders in Ecommerce
The presence of recommenders has become ubiquitous in daily life over the past decade or more, from choosing what to stream on video, which music or podcast to listen to, who to pick us up and take us where we need to go, to when is the best time to leave to beat the traffic or other conditions. It is a technology that we’re all familiar with in its current state today, using it so often that we hardly notice it is there, and perhaps know less about its origins to appreciate how far it has come. This short article seeks to shed a little light on the long story of the recommender and those who have contributed to where it is today.