When it comes to Google, the company can seemingly do no wrong.  From Google Docs to its much-talked-about Chrome browser, the company seems to cover all the common sense bases.  It even showcases seemingly crazy applications like Google Flu Trends or Google Goggles (a program to stop you from sending drunken emails).

However, even a company as unusually successful as Google is bound to have a couple of failures in tough economy times such as these.  So, while it was a bit shocking when Google announced the death of its "Lively" online world, it should not be considered entirely unexpected. 

The free virtual environment was an intriguing experiment, but failed to garner mass support.  Users could download the beta of the program and create custom avatars and rooms they could invite other users to enter.  Unique locations such as Jen's coffee house and the Brasil Party room quickly popped up. 

However, despite the enthusiasm of some users, like many MMO (massively multiplayer online) efforts the problem of too few overall users could not be overcome.  Google announced that it would be pulling the plug on the beta of the Lively service December 31, 2008. 

No explanation was offered, but Google did thank users for their enthusiasm.

States the Lively homepage, humbly:

Thank you for sharing this experience with us. We've learned a lot about how users interact in rich social environments, and we hope you've enjoyed your time with Lively.

Many in the online community are left to ponder its sudden demise and what possible meaning it could have for Google.  Many share the same sentiment -- "Rest in peace, Lively, we hardly knew you."