The DOI -- Twenty Years On

In a slightly unusual twist to our normal practice with opinion pieces we present, with permission, the transcript of a talk given by Mark Bide at a recently held IDF (International DOI Foundation) meeting. The IDF Registration Agencies such as CrossRef and DataCite gather twice a year to discuss ongoing efforts and to plan for the future. The summer meeting this year was celebrating the 20th anniversary of 'The Armati Report' that led fairly directly to the creation of the Digital Object Identifier (DOI). Mark, speaking in a personal capacity, takes a long view of the accomplishments of the last twenty years as well as the challenges that remain.