Critique of "IT Doesn't Matter" by Nicholas Carr

In the HBR article, “IT Doesn’t Matter”, Nicholas Carr writes of the Information Technology world as a fleeting commodity with comparisons to the steam engine, railroad, electricity or the telegraph implying it is soon to become extinct. He asserts that IT will eventually become obsolete as its ubiquitous nature can only become powerful if it’s replaced with scarcity. I think this could be dangerously incorrect, as I don’t envision IT being erased from our lives but in effect, progressing it towards further simplification. While I can’t list all of his viewpoints in this paper, I will try to examine some of his key issues such as: IT accessibility, proprietary vs. infrastructural technologies, companies IT overspending. Carr’s article is thought provoking and quite interesting to read and I found his argument to be compelling to say the least. But I’m not convinced his conclusions are correct or even properly focused. My initial reaction is “IT Does Too Matter!�...