I actually agree with Steve. Which may signal the end of the universe :)

Great post - and I agree with the examples.

I do wonder -  Are there some professions that will always remain specialists? Direct marketing is a good example which continues to be a specialist field despite the fact that all marketers now need to understand it.

Is it because of the technical skills?  

Interesting idea Matt... I think what we will see here is marketers split into uber brands and those that specialise in ever narrower parts of the long tail. Traditionally we have seen different skills in marketing - advertising, design, pr, DM and digital. There is a huge shift towards digital means of communication - but as Google gets more competitive as an advertising media other options have to be considered.

Wherever you have a market that people want to get revenue from, and where people don't understand the market or how to get the very best out of it, there will always be a need for consultants. So the services covered by the job titles described above will still be needed - they just may come under a different name. Social media is here to stay. So perhaps Steve is being contraversial with his statement.

A quicker and more immediate demise is Yellow Pages and Directories. Aside from making great monitor stands, they serve no useful purpose. A bet on the date of the funeral anyone?