It’s been a tough year, and one in which you were likely devouring any and all IT-related reading materials for advice and commentary to stay on track. We’ve offered a wealth of information over the past 12 months, but the following 10 articles are the ones you’ve deemed the best of the bunch.

Take a peek at these most popular CIO Republic articles from 2002 and be sure you haven’t overlooked some valuable recommendations.

Drumroll please… here’s the top 10

  1. ”Instant messaging threatens enterprise security”
    Employees who are secretly using IM programs inside or outside the LAN may be endangering corporate enterprises. A new managed service promises to not only secure the firewall holes created by IM, but also to take IM out of the shadows and into the boardroom.
  2. ”Salaries for topflight CIOs and many other IT jobs continue downward trend”
    Where does your salary rank in the latest salary survey conducted by Janco Associates? According to the firm, top-tier CIOs are earning less and making decisions that lower other IT salaries.
  3. ”Ten tech predictions to shake your world”
    This article got TechRepublic members buzzing! Gartner analysts forecast big changes in the tech sector over the next eight years. Get the lowdown on each prediction.
  4. ”How secure is .NET?”
    Any Microsoft product is considered fair game for hackers, and the upcoming .NET Framework is no different. Columnist Tim Landgrave gives an overview of how Microsoft is tightening .NET security.
  5. ”Download this poster to track the history of today’s computer”
    This fun poster will guide you through history from a time before PCs to the present state of technology. We’ve come a long way, baby.
  6. ”Motivating employees: It’s harder than you think”
    Everyone—from tech genius to management marvel—has trouble motivating employees. Columnist Bob Weinstein offers suggestions for giving managers and staff members some get-up-and-go.
  7. ”Solid management skills are crucial to attaining a leadership role”
    Management and leadership are two different things but inextricably linked. Columnist Bob Weinstein explains how the two come together in the successful careers of IT leaders.
  8. ”Post-layoff period is a great time to refocus staff”
    After layoffs, demoralized staffers produce little and aren’t easily motivated to achieve great things either personally or professionally. However, it may be a better time than you think to revitalize a tapped-out team. Find out the do’s and don’ts for post-layoff periods from an economics expert.
  9. ”Download our certification listing to stay current”
    Every time you pick up a trade publication, you read about a new or updated certification your staff may need. Our listing of current certifications will provide you with a point of reference for keeping your employees’ training up to snuff.
  10. ”Time for a change? Job rotation best practices”
    Bored managers can quickly become unproductive or even troublesome. You may cure their monotony and improve their skills by rotating them to different positions within your organization. However, this strategy has some pitfalls. Get Gartner’s advice for making job rotation programs work.
What’s on your mind?

We’d like to know what you want to read about in the coming months—what issues are you grappling with and what insight do you need for upcoming projects? Send us an e-mail with your ideas for CIO content in 2003.