subject: User- generated Web [print this page] It has become more evident that user-generated content has become the newest trend in not only online media, advertising and marketing, but among the creative youth via online web platforms. Because of user-generated content and a participative web, business and online media is transforming Internet users from a a nation of consumers to a nation of creators.
So what is user-generated content? It is rather easy actually, as I sit here composing this article I am contributing what we call user-generated content; content that is comprised of various forms of media and creative works that is created and shared by Internet users. Creative works and media can be written, audio, visual, or a combination of the three. Really the possibilities are endless and only limited by the individual.
Wikipedia is a perfect example of a company that relies on user-generated work; a series of one page entities that contribute information about specific areas subject matters based on user submissions and edits. Any user can help in the collaboration by editing the pages content and adding information/sources.
Though WIkipedia is an outstanding example of user-generated content, it is not the perfect example of the creative use of user-generated works. Artist Girltalk shows perfectly the use of user-generated work amongst young creatives. Girltalk works in an office sampling biological data by day and is a musician by night. Well he is a musician of sorts, he creates what are called mashups to restore what may be considered old and turn it into something completely new. For example he will take the beat of one track and add lyrics from another, creating a mashup. He then shares his new song on several web/social sites, and he does so successfully. Girltalk has quite the group of followers and has inspired fellow creatives to join in the remix fun which has taken several forms such as videos, songs, and even re-writing plots to favorite screenplays.
The Internet was made to collaborate ideas, and user-generated work helps give Internet users some control in sharing; the control to be creators rather than corporate consumers.
