There has been talk about Yahoo 360 closing down as far back as 2007, but only now is it truly official. They've set a date - July 13 is the day that Yahoo 360 will be no more.

Yahoo has been easing the transition for users to switch to their "new profiles," and is now requesting users move into their new profile by no later than July 12. Yahoo Community Manager Melissa Daniels at the 360 Blog writes:

While we know that many of you have faithfully used this service over the past few years, our goal has been to find a way to unify your social experience and connections across all of Yahoo! and anywhere you travel across the Web. So, while we’re sad to say that we will no longer be supporting Yahoo! 360°, we’re excited about this larger plan and hope you’ll transition over and be a part of it, too.

We also want to reiterate our commitment to preserving your blog content. We have been working to make sure we put the right mechanisms in place so that you can move your content and minimize disruption. It is with this thought in mind that we’re happy to introduce a new blogging feature that has already been integrated into your profile.

Melissa goes on to answer questions like:

- Why is Yahoo 360 closing?

- It’s been almost two years since you first announced 360 was closing—why shut it down now?

- What is going to happen to my blog?

- First you shut down Mash, now you shut down 360—why should I give profiles a shot?

- What about customization and photos? On 360 I can change the look and feel and upload multiple photos—can I do this with profiles?

...so if you want the answers to any of these, check this post. In addition, there is a FAQ page here.

Yahoo says the new profiles do not have all the features and functionality that 360 profiles do, but they're looking forward to incorporating new ways of expression in to them.