Filed under: New Media | Tags: collective intelligence, produsage, user-generated content
In recent times the lines that used to divide producers of content with their users have been blurred. Thanks to online revolutionary programs and new concepts such as social networking there is need for a new theory determining who is generating information and for whom. This is because instead of having titles and clear rankings giving professionals the ability to distribute information, the internet has opened access to a source for releasing content by anyone in the general public. Therefore not only are more people producing information, but these same people are receiving access to knowledge and content published by peers and other members of the general public. The name now associated with these creators is “produsers”. This name, created by Dr Axel Bruns of Queensland University of Technology, simply combines the old titles of producer and user to signify that both roles are being played at once. As each person contributing information to public access sources is also using other people’s work to enhance, support or oppose their work, they are acting in both the producer and user roles.
The emergence of user-generated content, or that information created by produsers has been studied in recent times because of the obvious influx in popularity. One academic, whom I believe shares my views on produsage has accredited this emergence and popularity, as a result of the emergence of new media technologies, of the changes in values of media organisations (from producing media content to creating facilities and frameworks for ordinary, non-professionals to produce their own content), and because of recent world issues of identity and self expression. (For more information on user-generated content view work by Prof Jensen of Aalborg University)
Given to the wide spread of public uptake on “produsage” it is clear that the general public are just as willing and able to contribute to the collective intelligence of the community as any person in a professional role has been in the past. In fact, I believe our online community is benefitting from produsage in a such a significant way that the negative implications of this theory can be overlooked. These negatives include the possible leaks of unjustified or false information, the difficulty, or in some cases, inability to differentiate between reliable and unreliable sources, and the decentralisation, or reduction of power usually held by corporations with access to professionals and their publishing sources. An example of where you might find these negatives is on a website such as Wikipedia, where editing information is unrestricted.
The positive implication that I, having studied this area and am now contributing to first hand, believe outweighs these negatives is the creation of collective intelligence through produsage. It is now possible to access a much greater load of information because of the exponential growth of people contributing to public knowledge. As mentioned earlier, these contributors are also basing a great deal of their findings on information also gained publically, through the knowlegde of even more others, i.e. through collective intelligence. This circle of sharing and absorbing knowledge is resulting in more view points being heard, and more evidence and information backing up specific theories, as well as those with completely new theories and view points also having a say.
One of the latest ways in which produsage has surfaced is through blogs such as this. However, any information supplied to publicly accessible sources, whether the creator has meant to or not, is contributing to a wider understanding.
