While with the creation of web 2.0, the number of user-generated content is increasing, a question that arises is whether it should be considered as progressing as what the customers are producing is more of editing, remixing or assembling the pre-made templates and tools made by professionals. My personal reflection to this question would be that it is progressing because man-made products are recursive. Even the tools, and templates which the professionals designed for the more amateur to use in their future content were results of some other preliminary tools. That a tactic is followed by a strategy does not prompt us to decline the value, or creativity hidden in a tactic. Consequently, many of user-generated contents such as remixes, are according to de Carteau, “tactical creativity”. Besides, that one user uses the content distributed by another user to create some new content can suggest the idea of virtual collaboration.
More and more industries are celebrating the DIY practice, as well as giving the customers the opportunity to customize what they purchase. In other words, the strategies used by social media are more like tactics in a sense that they are breakable, flexible, and not just set and imposed as permanent entities. The more desirable options, and platform space for customers to share ideas and knowledge, the more customers will join the website, and the website’s ad-on service will be welcome by more and more companies and businesses.
Web 2.0 also enables users to initiate and maintain conversations for hours and hours regardless of who, where and what they are. They can converse not only through text, but also by uploading photos, videos and remixes to reply to a text/video/photo. Les Manovich claims that with the use of web 2.0, where any user regardless of place, efficiency, or field can share his created work globally, we are progressing culturally as a channel has been opened up for anyone to display works, and find more public identity. There are websites that allow architecture students, for example, share their innovative works regardless of how (un)professional they are. This is not a thread to modern art; the thread is the “dynamics and unpredictability” (331) of web 2.0.
I have been thinking about this since the last class and my last post. We are talking about a change that has come in web 2.0 that was an adaptation of people to a more fractured community, but we haven't discussed too much the catalysts for the changes other than the technology. I am impressed with the positive human spirit that has created the user-generated material on the web, but I feel like the loss of the previous communities is too great to celebrate at the moment.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you that web 2.0 has given rise to a new form of communication and sharing community, but there are problems that rise and we venture onto grey areas with online materials.
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