free creativity

(SOCS300)

In his chapter on Individual Freedom: Autonomy, Information and Law, Benkler writes: 

"We are seeing the emergence of the user as a new category of relationship to information production and exchange. Users are individuals who are sometimes consumers and sometimes producers. . . the networked information economy promises to enrich individual autonomy substantively by creating an environment built less around control and more around facilitating action." (138-9)

Web 2.0 offers an interactive and creative space on the internet, where content and experience is essentially user defined.  Users are self-motivated to use web tools, through blogs, social networks, wikis and so on, in order to express their views, opinions and comments.  Blogging is still somewhat new to me, but in having a blogspot, I have an 'outlet' in which to write, and self-publish on select topics of interest.  I also really appreciate the convenience of sharing research ideas for a recent group project on wikispaces.  The flexibility of the content, easy access and updating capabilities make it extremely useful for project collaborations.  Above all, it is paperless.  And so these tools allow us as users to shed the commercial boundaries of pre-defined focus, content, organizational procedures and rules, permissions, and the like.  It's empowering for the individual to determine the type and extent of their content, the tools and applications used in creating an interesting and fulfilling production, that is personally motivated.  The access to information and the opportunities to interact with other users on the same topic & interests enhances the freedom factor.  The tone and target audience of the work is also completely up to the individual.  On the flip side, the user who is reading/viewing the online content takes on the consumer role.  The fact that the online, self publishing is free (for the most part), enables the user to express creative freedom in their practice.  There are no (obvious) boundaries, as their are limitless amounts of tools and applications available to both 'consumers and producers'.