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01.03.07
User Generated Content - Accurate, Not Insult
 By
Solomon Rothman
One of the most repeated terms added to the new web 2.0 glossary describing current trends in web design is "user generated content."
It even has it's own Wikipedia page that proclaims it came into mainstream use sometime during 2005 in both web publishing and new media production circles. More recently major bloggers and indie publishers have started raising strong arguments against use of the term and how they believe it is used to downgrade or view as inferior the contributions of small time publishers on the Internet landscape.
The term itself is a neologism and doesn't have an extremely specific definition, which is why it's often referred to as a buzzword in the web publishing world. I think it correctly portrays a strong idea and is a positive ideology behind the changing world of new media. Currently those set against the use of this term believe that it is an indirect comment on the inferiority of small time publishers in comparison to larger traditional media companies. They believe they should share the same terminology and be called small time publishers or independent publishers. One particularly quote illustrating the perceived negativity comes Rishad Tobaccowala (CEO of Denuo) who says "User Generated Content: Since when did I become a heroin addict?."
The bloggers raising up arms against the use of this term are overlooking the number 1 reason that the "user" terminology is still in effect and in my opinion shouldn't be replaced with publisher as of yet. I'm under the impression that the general use of term "user" in phrases like "user generated content" is dependent upon a combination of monetization and author motivation.
Publishers make money from writing or creating content, while users typically do not. So when they mean user generated content, what they really mean is content the website owner didn't pay for directly or where the author isn't making any direct money for creating it. So a user generated content site is one where most of the content is produced for free or with low monetization (like profit sharing.), with the main motivation for the content itself is to enhance (or gain attention) in the site/community the author activity USES. Hence the word user. From the website's user perspective.
1. They use a resource (a cool website like forum, blog or video sharing site)
2. They like it enough to want to contribute to it
3. They create content with the primary motivation to improve or gain attention from the resource they actively consume.
Continue reading this article.
About the Author:
Solomon Rothman is an SEO
consultant, web and graphic designer for Acclivity Inc. He co-authors
the internet marketing
blog Stir Crazy. He has created over 100 websites and conducted SEO
campaigns for companies of all sizes; besides technology, his other passions
include screenwriting and filmmaking.
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