The New York Times reports the demise of Macword as we know it. Macworld is the annual trade show and showcase for Mac fanatics. It seems Apple has withdrawn its participation in the event from next year. Apparently the Apple Expo has also been cancelled. The report notes that Apple has been moving away from trade shows for some time as technology enable fans to simply be one click away from any information they require. This is a valid point that many tech firms can and do make. However Mac users have always seen themselves as a community. Its what made the Mac brand special and what carried it through the rather numerous really bad years in the past. To pull the plug on that community, the envy surely of every competitor, is stunningly short sighted. In a world where people are reconnecting with people Apple is choosing to disconnect. In a way it was probably inevitable. The success of its iPod, iTunes and iPhone services made it a much more mainstream brand than it once was. Apple should ask itself if it is cool because of its tech or its people. The answer, given its history, seems obvious. One day it technology will miss a step, and when it turns to its community to carry it through the tough times as they always have, they will find their goodwill greatly diminished.