"user generated content"

(SOCS300)  modules 5-6

..a mass of personal content, casual vocabulary, unedited, uninhibited.. it is truly like an open dialect, totally informal, and somewhat a standard way of sharing and storytelling, especially with younger generations.  Privacy is not of the same concern as with gen-X-er's.  Shirky's describes this type of "user-generated content (as) a group phenomenom" (83) accurately, because it is typically written directly for a smaller social group.  However, it also reaches a much wider audience, a larger group dynamic.  We see this with videos posted on youtube that can go "viral" and can catch on very quickly within similar groups interested in the same content.  Users are easily connected in this dynamic through tags and social groups established on a common interest.  It can also be seen in the re-definition of a "friend" within this virtual platform, where followers are added as friends in networks such as MySpace and Facebook.

There is also an important distinction to be made between "broadcast media" and "communications media", where the first is intended for a broader audience via television, radio newspapers etc, and the latter written for a much more narrow audience, more on a social level in a "one-to-one" pattern of conversation.  Shirky also describes these as media tools as "one-to-many" and "one-to-one"  (86).  And so a lot of the content we find in blogs is intended for a smaller audience, yet when there is consistency in quality writing, cross linking, and a connection of common interests, this can quickly growing a subscription of a blog and it's popularity. 

Interestingly, the gap between broadcast and communications media is merging, or at least we can say that there is a profound gray area that exists.  I came across an online magazine publication recently, that is well positioned in this gray area.  It shows a very specific narrow interest in content, although based in Toronto, articles on travel highlight experience or tales of select destinations. While it's photography and writing quality is strong and effective:   dead sexy magazine

They have also established tv broadcasting through their youtube channel deadsexytv .   Youtube enables anyone virtually, to establish their own tv channel.  Podcasts allow for the same in the capacity of radio broadcasting. 

ubroadcast.com is another platform where users can broadcast their own radio and television content. This site offering uncensored content (as internet broadcasting is not FCC regulated.. yet)