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The world is ending tomorrow. Or in 2012. Or when those four guys on horseback get here. Frankly, it seems to depend on who you ask.

But our e-commerce rapture has has already passed, hasn’t it? When eBay wouldn’t let sellers leave negative feedback and introduced DSRs, it seems like everyone treated that like the end of the world. When Amazon started selling eBooks, used book sellers, publishers, and authors did their Chicken Little impression. When Facebook and Twitter started to monetize, lots of people starting writing their obituaries.

And, we’re all still here. Business is still proceeding as usual, money is still being made, and the world of e-commerce is still churning along. Changes have an effect: some have adapted their businesses to the new world while others couldn’t and became extinct. New species of marketplaces popped up to fill the gaps and how they evolve will determine the world of the future.

But it’s important to remember to take a deep breath the next time your favorite platform, industry or marketplace announces a big change. Remind yourself of all the times in the past you convinced yourself that it was the end of the world when it really wasn’t that big a deal. Only time will tell if today’s e-commerce changes are a dino-sized asteroid or an over-hyped Y2K. Until then, keep running your business in the world you’re in today.