MA Update#2
Posted by popkitchen | Filed under academic, web 2.0
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Two weeks ago, I have presented my dissertation, entitled “Economic Value of User-Generated Content: An Investigation Into Productive Practices of the Users of MOG website” at my home University: Universita degli Studi di Firenze.
After researching the topic for three months in London, then writing it back home in Belgrade (admittedly, it took longer than it should), I am pleased to say I am over.
As with every big project, this is something hanging over your head, but then when it is finally over, you feel left without a purpose. So, allow me to share some of the conclusions I came up with over the last six months.
I wanted to investigate the economic processes underpinning web 2.0 ecology, such as mass participation on common goals and long tail, particularly looking at these phenomena from the perspective of a user, that is produser (thanx to Bruns).
The value of user-generated content is inherently economic, though the exact valuation does not ascribe to traditional economic categories. That is to say, that affect and reputation gained through the creation of user-generated content need to be taken into consideration. I used Tiziana Terranova’s concept of immaterial labour to frame the labour taking place on MOG – work done collectively, voluntarily, without expectation of remuneration.
The users of MOG, who generously offered their time, helped me get better insight into practices of users: most of them agree that the amount of time required for creation of posts, videos, comments to other people’s profiles, several called this time investment labour but “labour of love”. General consensus is the more you work, the more you consider your efforts seriously – and perhaps you are not expecting payment, but you want respect of your work (your time> see the reaction of users of Facebook on the change of the rules of this social network). Online platforms depend on the contribution of users, this is the way for them to make profits, but the work going into creation of content can not be managed.
Through the reading I did, I came across two (roughly) distinct groups of scholars on the subject of online labour – web enthusiasts (Tapscott and Williams, Leadbeater, Clay Shirky among others, to a certain extent Benkler and Jenkins) and left-leaning critics (Scholz, Terranova, Gane and Beer, Ritzer and Lovink), but what I felt was lacking was greater involvement of user’s own thoughts on the subject of contributing content online. This is why I take somewhat middle-ground position in assessing the arguments from both sides.
Many people told me that once you finish your MA you feel that you just started to nibble the mass of material available and that certain topics require further exploitation. Whether I do embark on that route (Ph.D.), it remains to be seen, but will keep you posted in any case. Whoever is interested in reading of my thesis, can contact me via this blog. Usage is allowed with a proper attribution.
In the meantime, MOG redesigned its interface. I will continue to monitor the developments on the site, as I find it really useful when it comes to music consumption today. But more on that some other time.
Tags: MA, user-generated content, web 2.0
April 26th, 2009 at 7:30 am
congratulations, jele!
i would say that user-generated content is an investment of the users’ reputations which they cultivate in order to gain influence and power to a certain extent.
i salute you for the continued work. i visited the bloggers i studied a few months ago and a lot of things have changed. i don’t keep an eye on them anymore, but i might if i have to present my findings again. it’s a lot of work!