I don't think there's a tech-specific downturn on the way. I think the lessons have been learned from last time, and the arrival of widely available always-on c

I don't think there's a tech-specific downturn on the way. I think the lessons have been learned from last time, and the arrival of widely available always-on connectivity (some of it at halfway-tolerable speeds) has made the web as valuable as it wasn't quite last time around. However - I think there's a much more general economic downturn right around the corner. The sense I get about the economy in general is that it's all built on smoke, mirrors, and a whole lot of playing cards... we might still be in good times, but only in the sense of everyone being so scared of the hangover that it's safer to stay drunk, but the booze is really close to running out, and there aren't any more friends to bring fresh kegs around. And I fear that no matter how strong it is internally, the tech world will end up being dragged down when the rest of the economy crashes. The bright side of starting up during a recession, of course, is that if your business can survive the recession, then you know it's pretty damn strong. :)