We’re having some fun over at InfoWorld today. The end of the year typically sees a proliferation of stories predicting what lies ahead for the tech industry. Instead, with the New Year well underway, we’re taking a look back. Presented for your enjoyment are 25 of tech’s biggest blunders, slip-ups, disappointments, and missed opportunities — the moments that, if anyone could have seen the future, would probably have been done differently.

There’s an element of schadenfreude in this, to be sure. But it’s not just about kicking the players when they’re down. I think of it as a moment to chuckle at our own irrational exuberance and, if we’re lucky, an opportunity to learn from past mistakes.

You guys might have some other doozies that didn’t make my list. Feel free to send them my way, or post them over at InfoWorld.com. And smile, everybody! After all, what’s a few million in venture capital funding down the drain?