COMS 591 Blog 2

Response on:
Some Exploratory Notes on Produsers and Produsage - by Axel Bruns

Axel Bruns, taking after Alvin Toffler who coined the term ‘prosumer’ in the 1970s as being “a more informed, more involved consumer of goods”, comes up with a new terminology of his own: the ‘produser’. Produsers are those who engage in both producing and consuming activities and constitute the new generation that will defy the traditional boundaries set between (the distinct roles and definitions of) producers and users. This new generation, which Bruns calls ‘Generation C’, allows everyone involved to equally share, access, and exchange information and knowledge, while at the same time, iterate old and thus create new content. Users now being able to participate in the production process as well represent the shift towards an individualized line of products as opposed to the once mass-produced industry of goods.

I think this is a good trend that is occurring because users, who are partaking in collaborative and continuous development, are creating relevant content and products and services that are specifically demanded, instead of mass producing unwanted items. It is making way for efficiency. Bouncing ideas, comments, and feedback off of one another helps produsers create a path for further improvement on products as opposed to raw competition to bring out the best.

A good moral and legal issue Axel Bruns raises in his article is the risk of opening up content to the public, for the basis of new produsage sites is to be open. If the sites became entirely open-source, produsers’ rights would be sacrificed and they would cease to be recognized for their hard work. Produsers are worried that if their efforts were widely dispersed, it will conversely result in counterproductivity. For example, presenting false information can cause great and irreversible damage. On the other hand, if these sites were not open to some degree, how would produsers be able to collaborate with each other to build improved material? The answer is that produser sites are open to the extent of a hierarchal system where only the privileged is allowed access. Thus, as hard as it may be, produsage sites of the new generation must find a middle ground between “openness and structure.”

Moreover, responsibility issues are also in question. Bruns says that government intervention should be implemented to equal out the chances of participating as a produser, to smooth out the divide lying between those more privileged and those who are less; with privilege being measured by technological skills, social and economic standings, etc. I agree with this suggestion. Governments are not so much intervening as they are positively supporting produsage of media, goods and services. I see the government’s will to help through their emphasis on bettering education for young generations today. They are preparing and teaching students how to become produsers within various environments. Should we be paying more attention to politics? Is the importance of the role of politics too far hidden behind, possibly even replaced by mass media, especially in terms of entertainment forms? Bruns states that we may be losing sight on where our priorities lie, of what is important because of the heavy impact of how media influences us. However, Bruns remains optimistic for what may come in the future: “If prodused media become a credible and wide-spread alternative to produced media forms...it could rekindle a desire on their part to once again become active produsers of democracy, rather than mere passive audiences.”