Since the 1960s, people have suggested that the end of the New York Stock Exchange's vaunted floor was near. They were correct; it's been a slow process, but under John Thain and his hybrid system, one can truly see the end. Let's face it--being a floor trader is a tough way to make a living these days. Firms continue to whittle away at their staff. Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers both made some recent cuts. Bank of America has put a lot of jobs on the block. LaBranche has cut its staff by more than half over the last year. More cuts are coming. All this leaves more work for others. It's not uncommon for specialists to "make markets" in up to three times the number of stocks they used to. The final question is how will it end? Will it just fade away with the last employee turning off the lights? Will it be turned into a museum? It's time to start talking about this.

For more:
- here's a New York Post article