To a non-trivial number of our fellow humans, news that Steve Jobs won't appear at the upcoming Macworld Conference & Expo, and that Apple will no longer grace the show with its presence, is bold-type OMG TEH BEATLZ BROKE UP stuff.

To others, it's more along the lines of Leonard Nimoy announcing he's done with Star Trek conventions.

The story that touches anyone who's ever had an expense account and sore feet is the death of the tech mega-event.

One hesitates to say they die unmourned, if only out of respect for the booth-vendors and convention hall operators. But let anyone who will truly miss them for the content speak now.

Anyway.

As the Journal says, "In place of mega conferences, a number of smaller, more focused technology gatherings still get good turnouts." The good stuff at big events usually involved conversations in the lobby and dinner after the show, so this makes sense.

Scoble: "What changed?

"Blogging and online video.

"Big companies are looking at the millions of dollars they spend for booths (not to mention bringing employees to) and are realizing that it's just not getting the return on investment that they should get."