Phil Fersht of HfS Research takes a look at the state of the analyst business and concludes that it could be in just as much trouble as the news business if changes aren't made. "Short-term attention-span theater has taken over, and some analyst firms are oblivious," he writes. "Very few people have the patience, or inclination, to read detailed reports any more."

These concerns aren't new. Last January we looked at some other discussions about social media and the changing role of the analyst firm.