Melcrum has announced that it is shuttering The Communicator’s Network, the standalone online community for professional communicators that Melcrum launched in May 2007. The site, which went live about three weeks after the official launch of MyRagan, Ragan Communications‘ social networking site for communicators, has not been a vibrant community for some time–at least not in terms of active commenting and new posts to the site.

I heard rumblings about the pending decision to close TCN some time ago, and had mixed feelings. Certainly, I didn’t visit the site enough to contribute to its vitality–and I’m not alone by a long shot. It wasn’t for lack of interest as much as lack of time. It’s the same reason for my infrequent visits to MyRagan, which also has seen busier days in the message and blog sections. (I do credit Ragan staff for their continual efforts to add content and to spark conversations. A recent contest to come up with the best caption for photos was fun.)

Melcrum actually has moved the online discussions and some other content from TCN to LinkedIn, which has become more than just a website for networking. LinkedIn still requires people to register and log-in before making connections, but it has a large user base and recognition. Best of all (in Melcrum’s favor), LinkedIn won’t require Melcrum to cover the overhead of running the site.

I don’t see a groundswell of people shouting for more online communities. (Although developers will continue to try to be the next facebook or LinkedIn.)

Time and energy are finite resources, and communicators will benefit from consolidation of sites over time. Competition is good for generating ideas, but in an increasingly crowded field, I think that Melcrum wisely decided that it was time to cash in the chips in one area, and find a new place to join in the conversation.

Read the announcement from Melcrum here