Then the solution is not to rebrand to lose the existing audience, but to rebrand to keep that audience, and re-use the software in a new product with a new audience.
Most of the "cants" you referenced were likely not really possible, given the sort of product that they created. Social networking is most interesting with proximity. User-uploaded videos are mostly stupid, and attract stupid comments. Digg is intimidating in its design, which appeals to young male geeks more than old female nongeeks. People who want what WoW offers are already spending all their time playing WoW, and the same game with different graphics won't pull them away from the characters and relationships they're invested in. etc, etc
It's not necessarily a bad thing for users to have an effect on the direction your product goes. In fact, if properly harnessed, it can be incredibly positive.
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Then the solution is not to rebrand to lose the existing audience, but to rebrand to keep that audience, and re-use the software in a new product with a new audience.
Most of the "cants" you referenced were likely not really possible, given the sort of product that they created. Social networking is most interesting with proximity. User-uploaded videos are mostly stupid, and attract stupid comments. Digg is intimidating in its design, which appeals to young male geeks more than old female nongeeks. People who want what WoW offers are already spending all their time playing WoW, and the same game with different graphics won't pull them away from the characters and relationships they're invested in. etc, etc
It's not necessarily a bad thing for users to have an effect on the direction your product goes. In fact, if properly harnessed, it can be incredibly positive.