I’ve always wanted to go to SXSW. I think the first time I heard about it was when I was a DJ at my college radio station. It sounded to me like a freaking mecca of cool.

Sadly, I’ve never made it to the event. Due to things like work and not having an extra $1000 or so on hand for something like that, that stars have just never aligned.

Now I’ve been reading all kinds of things about the event this year that make me feel like it might be too late to attend this event with the expectations I’ve carried with me since college.

Here’s a few things I’ve been picking up through my various social media channels.

One of the sessions was not giving participants the content that they thought they could expect from the panel. Since the audience was filled with a bunch of social media savvy people, they all started talking to each other about this on Meebo. Unbeknownst to the panelist and traditional journalists in the room, an entire conversation about how this happened without the presenters.

There was also an article in Salon.

The kicker of it for me was the info graphic I found in the latest Fast Company.

And the twitters that people are sending, point to the end of an era.

I’m not saying it won’t be a great event next year, I’m just saying I don’t think the event I’ve always heard about happens anymore. No judgment, but sometimes , ‘their old stuff WAS so much better’. Things change.