I'll go ahead and predict the obvious: the tech sector will finally crash hard in 2009 like all the other industries in America. Technology is typically a laggi

I'll go ahead and predict the obvious: the tech sector will finally crash hard in 2009 like all the other industries in America. Technology is typically a lagging indicator, as its still dependent on other large industries for most of its revenue. Look to see 25-30% cutbacks in spending for the industry leaders (Google, Microsoft, IBM) and tech startups (the funded ones) to tighten belts for real this time. It may seem bad now, but the tech sector all and all has been nearly immune to the economic downturn compared to other industries (retail, auto, financial, and real estate). The tech companies that will contract least will be ones who cater to the entertainment market (games primarily). Hopefully I don't sound too pessimistic. Personally, I've been happily employed throughout the downturn, making as much or more than I'd been getting in the boom times. However I have pretty good second hand view (from friends and family) on other parts of the economy so I'm bracing for the same impact on tech.