[umvi]

This doesn't just apply to new technology but also social/political/economic ideas too. I would have liked to see levels beyond 5 (i.e. the part where reality catches back up, the hype collapses, the backlash starts, etc)

[nerdponx]

Maybe "collapse" isn't itself a "level of hype", but something separate from hype.

But I agree that this applies to things other than technology. Sometimes it seems like most political movements lie somewhere between levels 3 and 5.