Web Ghosts
Brian Gongol

Many people balk when they hear that their favorite websites and services probably won't be around forever -- or even for very long. But the simple fact is that the very short history of the Internet is already littered with sites that are ghosts of their former selves. Here are a few: Websites and web services are caught in a game with no easy way to win: They feed and grow based upon hype, and hype can't be sustained forever. By the time a large user base has been built up, the early adopters are usually already on to trying to find the "next big thing" because the attraction of exclusivity is gone. But it takes time before a site built for aggressive early users is suitable for people with only average Internet skills and interests. And in that time, there's plenty of opportunity for nimbler competitors to sweep in, take advantage of the huge learning curve required to establish the first site, and leapfrog its technology and deliver a better user experience.