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During the period of growth of e‐commerce, e‐business and online life in general, trust has been identified by a number of authors as a key factor, the absence of which can act as a powerful disincentive to an individual’s engagement in a transaction. This has encouraged a great deal of research into the various facets of trust in an online environment, both theoretical and empirical. One of the many recommendations for business practice that have emerged from this research is the suggestion that online businesses should publish on their website a privacy policy that explains clearly the use that will be made of any personal information collected on the site, the third parties to whom it may be disclosed, and the circumstances under which disclosure may occur. A number of surveys have been conducted that highlight the rather patchy adoption of this recommendation in various countries. We now know, for example, that by no means all online organisations publish an online privacy policy, and that many of those that do exist display a range of serious shortcomings, including poor visibility on the site, incomplete coverage of the main issues of concern and poor readability. However, previous discussion of privacy policies has tended to assume that any particular policy can provide value to its readers by informing them of the privacy practices of its host organisation, and thus also to its publishers through encouraging customers and clients to trust them more than they otherwise would. This assumption is expected to be valid where the policy meets certain criteria, which are either established on the basis of theoretical considerations, or are derived from a kind of best‐in‐breed comparative exercise. This paper seeks to address the question how far privacy policies can ever achieve the goal of providing clear information to website visitors about the privacy practices of an organisation. It reports on an empirical study that was conducted between November 2005 and April 2006 using two groups of University students as subjects. The subjects were asked to read three privacy policies, selected in advance by the author, and to complete a short questionnaire on what the subject thought each policy had to say about certain key privacy issues. The results reveal that there is surprisingly little agreement about what a policy actually means. This has significant implications both for policy writers and their managers, and also for those who are considering entering into a transaction with the host website. There is a need for further research to investigate this question in more detail, but it is clear from these findings that we know less than we thought we did about the ways in which people interpret the notices that they read on websites.

Many authors have identified fears about a lack of personal privacy online as a major disincentive to the take‐up of e‐commerce by private consumers. The publication of a privacy policy is encouraged by information and communications technology industry groups such as the Online Privacy Alliance, and by online certification bodies such as TRUSTe. Privacy policies are taken to reassure the wary, and thereby to overcome the disincentive to trade. This paper offers an account of an ongoing research project into the practical measures taken by organisations to publish their online privacy policies. Late in 2000, a total of 113 disparate web sites were identified that included some kind of explicit privacy policy and the visibility and content of the policy was analysed. The primary research into privacy policies is set in context by relating it to a discussion of the nature and role of trustworthiness in online relationships. This highlights a number of issues that need further attention on the part of some of the organisations in the survey.

The electronic library is emerging as the library of the foreseeable future but its user aspect, particularly the usability, requires more research. This article describes the ELINOR (Electronic Library and Information Online Retrieval) developments at De Montfort University from the user's perspective. It firstly shows the main features of the ELINOR user interface which illustrates how a user can find a document in the Electronic Library and subsequently read the retrieved document on the screen. This is then followed by a discussion of the methodology and findings of a user study based on a random sample of eight ELINOR users conducted in the Autumn term of 1993. The user study included searching/reading/browsing tasks and a questionnaire. The former is a controlled experiment designed to gauge objectively the usability of ELINOR by comparing the use of the electronic books with that of printed books. The questionnaire shows the user's subjective reaction to ELINOR. Future work on the user study will expand the sample to include all the first‐ and second‐year students doing the Business Information Systems Course at the University's Milton Keynes campus.

The purpose of this paper is to consider perceptions of sustainability, information communication technologies (ICTs)-enhanced performances, authenticity, COVID-19 and performance futures in relation to digital content for use on-site and off-site at music festivals/events. It responds to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 9 – Industries, Innovation and Infrastructure. The research analyses existing literature to inform a dialogue among music festival organisers, consultants and performers. It addresses the thesis that: industry gatekeepers’ opinions on the authenticity of environmentally sound ICT-generated live content will influence its adoption at music festivals.

Primary research was carried out using purposive sampling of 50 live music industry professionals to collect and interpret expert empirical evidence through informed narrative. Using a mixed-methods approach, respondents completed a structured e-mail questionnaire comprising closed questions, a five-point Likert scale and additional qualitative open questions.

Predominantly positive quantitative responses relating to the live music industry's role in advocating sustainability contrasted with negative responses to virtual festivals. Responses adopting and rejecting environmentally sound ICT for live content were evident in qualitative results, with significant proportions of undecided or uncertain respondents. The prevalence of postponement and rejection responses around authenticity may prevent adoption at some music festivals.

The limitations of this research include the relatively small sample size and limited scope in terms of the artform.

The “snapshot” of digital aspects of sustainability at music festivals within this research is of particular value due to the paucity of research in this area, rapid change in virtual music festival provision prompted by COVID-19 and its narrative from varied industry professionals. The paper makes recommendations to artists, music festival organisers, consultants, academics and public funders to attempt to advance sustainability.