Since its debut in 2004, the Web 2.0 Summit — initially billed as the Web 2.0 Conference — has been a focal point for the wave of startups and entrepreneurs that have transformed the internet's landscape over the intervening years. However, co-founder John Battelle has announced that there will be no event in 2012, and it's not clear if the conference will be returning at all. According to Battelle, the decision has nothing to do with any disagreements between himself and partners O'Reilly Media and UBM TechWeb, but is rather a simple function of resources; Battelle is in the midst of completing a new book and doesn't have the time to program the event. As for the future of Web 2.0, Battelle states that he and his partners are "keeping our options open," and will have more to report in the coming months.