Hi, I was indeed trying to make an editorial point (especially in conjunction with the title): that the tag cloud's first incarnation (the too-cool-for-school stage of a technology) is dead, as is its second (the oh-but-you-have-to-have-one stage).

Fingers crossed, I'm hoping we've reached its third incarnation - as a useful interface element that's appropriate in some circumstances but not others.

(Hmm... I can't tell if that reincarnation metaphor is influenced more by Eastern spirituality or a childhood spent watching Doctor Who.)