As Rose points out, the new “web 2.0,” which is defined more
by user interaction like how “Something
as simple as making a hyperlink, when it’s done 24 hours a day by billions of
people, creates a structure of information that's not directed by anyone - but
as amplified by tools such as Google - is shaping our society,” (Rose, 2011
P.187). However, the very fact that
user-generated content is not controlled by anyone is the key-hole through
which user-generated content can be unlocked and fall apart.
Several types of media come to mind
where user-generated content just doesn’t seem to work. For example reviews of products and
professionals online are often skewed and can do actual harm to a professional
or product reputation. There is a reason
Amazon only lets you review a product you have bought or that Angie’s List
charges you to view reviews of people – it’s because there is always one person
who had a bad experience, or just has an axe to grind and gives a bad review. Also, people tend to only feel the need to
review a product if they have a bad experience and are less likely to do so
when they have a good experience. In
this case user-generated content can be dangerous.
I think fan-fiction/non-fiction is
one of the most promising areas of user-generated content. Sure, there are certain types of fan fiction
that may not have the social significance of others. But lets take for example fan fiction on
President Obama, sites like: (https://www.fanfiction.net/search.php?keywords=romney+obama&ready=1) and (http://obamafic.livejournal.com/) provide a platform for users to
generate content like a blog but also move stories forward by predicting or
suggesting new narratives for political events and ideas. It also provides a digital forum for the
exchange of ideas, which is the basis for democracy – would the French
Revolution have happened without the free-speech in cafes? Jurgen Habermas would say no.
References:
Rose, F.
(2011). The art of immersion: how the digital generation is remaking
Hollywood, Madison Avenue, and the
way we tell stories. New York: W.W. Norton & Co.
Obama Fanfiction.
(n.d.). Obama Fanfiction. Retrieved May 22, 2014, from http://obamafic.livejournal.com/
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