Digital Cultures: User Generated

ContentDr Tracy Harwood

Senior Research Fellow / National Teacher Fellow Institute of Creative Technologies

De Montfort University

introductiondefinitioncontextcontentperspectives

theoretical practical

user sophisticationconclusions

definitionThe production of content by the general public rather than by paid professionals and experts in

the field. Also called "peer production", and mostly available on the Web via blogs and wikis, user-

generated content refers to material such as the daily news, encyclopedias and other references, movie and product reviews as well as articles on any subject, all of which have been traditionally written by editors, journalists and academics.

source: The Free Dictionary (online at http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/user-generated+content)

context“Open-source software, blogs, song-sharing

networks, free internet telephony – they’re each disrupting multibillion-dollar industries and reshaping the landscape of business, politics and culture. What’s the common threat behind them all? Us.” (Business Week 2005, The Power of Us)

Media fragmentation – radio, newspapers, magazines, TV

contextEvolution of ‘personal’ technologies & media –

CD, Walkman, video games, PCs, video cassettes/recorders, mobile phone, DVD, QuickTime, internet, email, webcam, smartphone, satellite radio, HDTV, apps/iTunes, podcasting, blogs, RSS, Flickr, BitTorrent, YouTube, Wikipedia, machinima, virtual reality, augmented reality

Analogue to digital – image, audio, video, information, life > convergence of media

contextmass media – passive, interruptive, one-way,

mass communication ‘one size fits all’ “the ‘manipulated’ medium is the message”

Machado (2007) on McLuhan (1964, Understanding Media: the Extensions of Man)

contextuser generated – active, two-way, one-to-one,

conversational “everyone will be famous for 15 minutes” Warhol

(1968 at Moderna Museet Gallery, Stockholm) “… ‘we live in a remix culture’ – what was referred

to in post- modern times as quoting, appropriation and pastiche no longer needs any special name…. its simply the basic logic of cultural production” Manovich (2001, Language of New Media)

contentopinion, insight, experience, point of

viewcreative, collaborative, experiential “Google is not a search engine – it is a

reputation management system… once you know the new rules you can use it to control your image in ways you never could before” Wired.com (The See-Through CEO)

theoretical perspectives self identity - gender, ethnicity, perceptions, beliefs, goals and

values (Burr, 1995), roles fulfilled (Stryker and Burke 2000), attachment with objects (Hunt and Bashaw 1999) online - multiple ‘personae’ unrestricted by real world norms

(Rheingold 1993) social identity - individual’s association with group(s) of others

reflecting different intensity or importance depending on social environment (Ashforth and Mael 1989) belonging to group(s) promotes ‘community’ (Zillman et al 1989),

computer-mediated communication free from spatial and geographical boundaries yet brought together by common interests (Jones 1995)

networks and tribes – ‘community of emotion or passion’ (vs interest eg brand) (Kozinets 1990, Cova and Cova 2002)

co-creation and participation – consumers become producers participating in a value-creation process – they are PROSUMERS

practical perspectivesorganization – consumer reach (long tail)media owner / developer – open source, beta,

co-evolved, public domain third party intermediaries (agencies) – viral

marketing

user sophistication technical competencepersonal marketingnetwork managementvirtual and augmented representationgrowth vs self preservation

Jantol 2011, Dear Fairy, Motion Builder

Dear Fairy

Branit 2007, World Builder, Real Life & Second Life

next steps?what forms of new media do you use?

justify the content you post how does the medium influence the message/s?

how do you see media you use and content evolving?

final comments

Semantic web is here?