The ideas of consumerism and production have almost always been seen as two distinct concepts, however we have recently been presented with the notion of 'produsage'. The word 'produsage' gives a shared meaning to both consumers and producers. The traditional boundaries between the two have been blurred and broken down and as a result individuals are able take on a hybrid role enabling them to be users (consumers) as well as producers of information and knowledge. This movement or advancement as some may propose has been mainly influenced by our great technological improvements and the introduction of various social media platforms. An Australian media scholar named Axel Bruns introduced this new concept in his book titled "Blogs, Wikipedia, Second Life and Beyond: From Production to Produsage".
Have you ever contributed important information to a page on Wikipedia, posted a blog or uploaded a video concerning a particular product or issue? Most of us would be nodding our heads, whether we are aware of it or not we are all individually partaking in the production and consumption of information and knowledge. Even if you don't necessarily produce information I'm sure you access content that has been created through produsage. I know I have, using Wikipedia to get my head around an idea or watching YouTube videos.
Axel Bruns explains produsage as characterised by 4 different features. Firstly the creation of information is open to all users not just the single author, the information is free to be evaluated and modified to suit everyone. Secondly there is no leadership or order in place. Bruns explains that for produsage sites to work there needs to be a large number of participants. He notes that produsage sites do not have a formal government rather they are fluid heterarchies that are organised through ad hoc meritocracies. Thirdly, produsage sites consist of virtually unfinished content that is being continuously evaluated. It is a multi-layered document which is repeatedly being over-written. And finally the content on a produsage site is acknowledged as common property and that all who contribute are able to receive reward or incentive.
It is important to take into account the ethics and merits of the content being produced. How can we guarantee that the information is reliable and trustworthy?
Again we ask how does produsage fit in with Howard Jenkins' views of participatory culture? It actually fits in significantly well if not its just been given a different name. The two concepts are intertwined, both identifying with the idea of consumers also taking on the role of the producer. As for the future of produsage, I believe there is more to come, more and more people will gravitate to the idea and also contribute. It will one day just become the 'norm'. This notion is only going to advance further, as our technological means advance also. Separate producers and consumers will be long gone and there will be no looking back. Because both the consumption and production has been put into our own hands and we as individuals benefit from this.
This is really a revolution, us, the people our society is able to contribute more than ever before to how things are produced, manugactered and distributed to the consumer. I love that that I can now be apart of this whole concept, and really contribute to something that someone, somewhere out in the online universe is able to use and get a hold of with out me even really knowing about it.
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