Short Answer: No.
Long Answer: When Maniac Mansion was out in 1988, Computer Magazines wrote "No typing at all? This could mean the end of adventure games as we know them!". I've witnessed dozens of obituaries since then. Bottom line is, AGs will still be alive even if they get excommunicated by the Pope. True, they're not as big as they used to be in the late 80s - early 90s, but they're still here; if anything, they're picking up in the last few years.

Question: How much was the Adventure Games genre helped by the technological advances?

Short Answer: Not much.
Long Answer: Technology is only helpful if used wisely, and not many companies have done that. Take Interactive Movies productions for instance; most of the titles gave minimum control to the player. Or games with full 3D graphics; I'm sorry, but all 3D has managed to give the players is the opportunity to examine less area of the room they're in than ever. Text adventures used to give you a full description of the entire area your character was in, including the possible exits. 2D games narrowed your perspective a bit, but you could still see most of the room. In 3D games, you can only see what's right in front of you, you have to constantly move your mouse 360 degrees in order to get the full picture, and more often than not you find yourself looking at your own shoe, desperately trying to get to that damn corner where you thought you saw an object a minute ago. Another problem technological advances brought is that today adventure games are created by a small army of programmers, graphic artists, sound editors etc. Too many cooks often spoil the soup.
Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of games out there that do things right; but I'm afraid they're a minority.

Question: What do you have against Myst and its clones? Don't you think those games helped attracting new players to the genre?

Short Answer: No.
Long Answer: In all honesty, Myst was an ok game. It just wasn't much of an adventure; it was a set of puzzles disguised as one. The unprecedented success it enjoyed led companies to believe that such games were what the public wanted. The result in the years that followed was a load of games of mediocre to poor quality, what we are used to call "Myst clones". Consequently, we had the infamous demise of the adventure games genre, as the old players turned their backs to it, and the new ones were not impressed by the clones. Are you still wondering why I don't like it?

Question: Don't you think it's time adventure games moved on and embraced elements from RPG and action games? After all, didn't the original 'Adventure' have fights?

Short Answer: No.
Long Answer: Just like it happened with the Myst fiasco, hubrid adventure games managed to lose more players than they gained. Basically, you have the old players who will rarely accept radical changes, as they make no compromises to what they like in an adventure game, and the new players, who are not impressed by the -usually low quality- action sequences AGs have. As for the 'Adventure had fights' argument, will it never get old? Those were turn-based fights, they did not require any hand eye coordination! Bottom line is: An adventure games is about puzzles, such as "where is the key to open the door?". It's not about jumping, shooting, fencing or any other kind of action.

Question: Is it ok if I use a walkthrough to play an adventure game?

Short Answer: No.
Long Answer: That's the issue that's gotten me into so many internet fights, I've lost count... Ok, I admit it. I don't use walkthroughs. I'm a freak of nature. I prefer being stuck for months than cheating. You shouldn't use them either.

Question: Why not?

Answer: Because you're not getting the most of the experience, that's why! Do you always pick the easy way out in your real life? Do you cheat when solving a crossword? Do you ask who the murderer is before watching a movie? Cheating is NOT the way adventure games are supposed to be played!

Question: Says who?

Answer: Do you really need someone to tell you? The internet wasn't always around, you know! Getting your hands on a walkthrough was far more difficult in the 80s. We actually had to use our brains back then. Not to mention that the games were much harder back at the time. If the creators wanted us to use a walkthrough, they would include one in the bloody box!

Question: What happened to your short answers?

Short Answer: I forgot about them.
Long Answer: It's hard to be brief when your interlocutor is so thick.

Question: But if I payed for the game, isn't it my right to use a walkthrough if I want to?

Short Answer: DUH!
Long Answer: OF COURSE it's your right! But all you do is ruin the experience.

Question: Can I at least use it when I'm stuck?

Short Answer: If ignorance is bliss, you must be the happiest person alive.
Long Answer: As opposed to what? Using it when you're hungry? Ok, you may use it I guess, but do yourself a favor and try to set a limit, something like 2-3 times per game.

Question: You know, I don't think I like you. You're a stuck-up, untalented, sad little man who thinks he knows everything.

Answer: That's not a question.

Question: Don't you think you're a stuck-up, untalented, sad little man who thinks he knows everything?

Short Answer: Perhaps, but it sure beats being a Myst loving, Lara Croft wet dreaming, cheating bastard.
Long Answer: Look, all I know is that there is nothing in the gaming world like the satisfaction you get when you manage to solve a difficult riddle. Why would you want to deprive yourself from that? I understand that you may be new to the genre, but the more puzzles you manage to solve on your own, the more experience you will get, the better you will do next time. Most people I know don't even remember half the characters or fail to understand the story of the last adventure game they played. Why? Because they never actually played it; someone else did and they simply followed the instructions.

Question: What is the best method for solving puzzles?

Short Answer: There is no 'best method'.
Long Answer: It really depends on the game. Some generic rules are: Take notes. Make a list of the characters you met and the objects you are carrying, and note the ones you haven't used yet. Draw a rough map even if can find your way easily. It will help you keep track of your steps. Never leave an area without making sure you've examined every hotspot. Don't resort to the "try everything on everything" solution too soon; you will get bored fast and the puzzles will seem impossible to solve.

Question: I've never played an adventure game in my life, what should I start with?

Short Answer: Other Worlds (just kidding!)
Long Answer: Start with a recent, easy game like Syberia 1 & 2. The technical part will impress you and you will be able to solve puzzles pretty soon without any help. Chances are you will like the story too.

Question: What is the best adventure game ever made?

Short Answer: Monkey Island 2.
Long Answer: Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge.

Question: Ok wise guy, since you know everything, what is the secret of Monkey island?

Answer: I'm sorry, that's all the bandwidth we had for today. Come again soon.