As a former print newspaper guy with many friends and colleagues that have either lost or are in the process of losing their jobs at newspapers, I certainly don’t celebrate the decline of that medium (which is thought to be because of advertisers’ migration towards online media).

However, it doesn’t mean I am not just blown away with how quickly other modes of communication—especially something like online communities—are also starting to recede. As a former media and culture scholar, this certainly intrigues me because it is perhaps one of the most stunning examples of the reciprocal “media accelerates culture” concept.

Au Revoir, Joie de Vivre’s California Connect

Aside from my egghead interests, what’s particularly noteworthy is that the most recent white flag is being raised by one of the most savvy brands I’ve ever encountered: Joie de Vivre Hotels.

Primarily based in the San Francisco Bay area, JDV has skillfully built a niche for itself in an industry that has struggled through a recession, post-9/11 reductions in travel, etc. Offering an upscale “boutique” experience but at very reasonable prices, each JDV property also has a unique theme and culture, supposedly developed by having each hotel replicate a selected magazine’s aesthetics.

Naturally, a hip Bay area brand like JDV was an early adopter of online marketing techniques, and their California Connect online community was no exception.

Earlier this week, I got an e-mail from them, explaining that “due to the popularity of other social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, we are bringing this space to a close.” The fact that they are abandoning certain types of online media is quite possibly an index of where things are.

But where are things going?

If Not Web 3.0, Then Perhaps Web 2.7 or 2.8?

Are these the final days of Web 2.0? Are its combinations of flaws, functionality, hype and mainstream acceptance going to encourage a radical new shift?

Last month, I wrote about how blogging has jumped the shark because it is being invaded by paid bloggers that continue to chisel into the already flimsy wall of transparency that exists online.

As I read about how social media like Twitter and Facebook are influencing the decline of other media, I also see Twitter and Facebook’s immediate demise on the horizon. If it won’t be from backlash about the way celebrities have commandeered Twitter to market Anvil, it will be from the aforementioned acceleration of media.

It took decades for television to eclipse radio and newspapers. It took barely a decade for the Internet to eclipse them all. Now, expect the “who eclipses whom” to not only be more granular (e.g., Web 2.0 eclipses online communities), but at an increasing rate.

Fortunately, the wait for “who’s next” probably won’t take much longer…

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 at 10:18 am and is filed under Industry Trends, Marketing, Pop Culture, Social Media, Things 'n' Stuff, Web 2.0. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.