When oozle.net first went online on February 27th 2002, it was the first Irish website of its kind, and unique in providing an independent and unbiased snapshot of the Irish technology scene. It quickly proved popular with its readership, with monthly hits growing steadily, and popularity gained through word-of-mouth rather than through advertising campaigns.

In May 2002, just 10 weeks after its launch, oozle.net hit the national arena when it was featured in the Irish Times Technology section which reprinted an article entitled "5 gadgets to survive a general election".

Readership subsequently grew rapidly and the site gained in popularity, reflecting the need that existed for a website offering Irish readers Irish news, Irish reviews and Irish views of technology products on the Irish market.

A highlight for oozle.net came in 2003 when it was shortlisted for a much-coveted Golden Spider award in the Personal Website category. Sadly it didn't win on that occasion, but its the taking part that counts, right?!

Run entirely as a voluntary exercise, the site proved more and more time-consuming to maintain for its editor, and regrettably in 2005 went offline.

Now, two years later, oozle.net is back with a new design (and more importantly an easily-maintained structure) meaning it is here to stay, and proud once again to be providing Irish readers with a distinctly Irish technology portal.

Brought to you by one individual, Rónan Palliser, oozle.net continues to be run on a voluntary basis, but welcomes contributions from any of its readers on any technology-related subjects.

While opportunities for advertising exist throughout the site, Rónan is keen to point out that oozle.net does not have any links to manufacturers, retailers, or distributors, allowing the site to maintain an un-biased independent viewpoint which reflects the opinions of its creator.

Written therefore by a knowledgeable amateur rather than a professional journalist, it is hoped that oozle.net provides serious technology fans with the updates of the latest technology they are looking for, while also catering for less tech-savvy readers who may simply be seeking a second or third opinion on what to buy and what to avoid as they dip into new technology for the first time.

Here's hoping you enjoy reading the website as much as I enjoy developing it,

Rónan Palliser,
Editor,
oozle.net