I hate to start a post off with the first word as a uni term, but here we go.
PRODUSAGE is a term that can be related to so much within the mystical realm of Web 2.0. Any websites that provide a user-generated product actually for sale can be said to be comply to the absolute essence of Axels' FABULOUS term.
Am I about to mention such a site? Why yes, I certainly am!
One such website is the clothing site, www.threadless.com. I don't think that the people who run this site have too much to do. They take orders, print t-shirts and post them out. The 'real' creators of the product are the site's users; its customers. These designs are voted for by the users. the people who run Threadless simply take the top few designs for each month and print them onto t-shirts for sale to the public. The creators of the most voted for/printed designs even get paid around $12500US.
Having used this site myself, as a customer rather than as a contributor (so far), I found that the quality of the designs available are quite professional. The amateur and ..crap.. designs are 'weeded out' in the voting process. Also, the idea that this user system allows for products that the consumer body actually wants (the addition of the 'I'd buy it!' check box in the voting section illustrates this), rather than a product that a company either guess will be popular and liked, or forces upon people as desirable, I think is quite romantic. This too relates to Jenkins' idea of expert logic vs. community logic. (We don't want no expert fashion fat-cats a'tellin' us what to wear now..)
When it comes to products and consumer goods, expert logic can be more easily dismissed, especially in niche markets which Threadless caters for, in favour of a community logic or decision on what is a 'good' product. Folksonomies work well in this context; a number of niche markets are at work in the Threadless voting process. With more than one design printed each month, each of the designs printed onto t-shirts for sale is usually a different style and favoured by a different niche.
Ok, I will acknowledge that it could be argued that a voting system may limit the availability of very original, very niche designs in that only the most popular are printed. However, this can be overcome, thanks to Web 2.0! Threadless provides profiles and contact details for each designer/user. So in the occurrence that a favourite design is not winning the other users' votes, the design in an image format could potentially be provided for the user.
To conclude, Web 2.0 and produsers help me to find nice t-shirts.
References:
Axel Bruns. (2008). Wikipedia: Representations of Knowledge in Axel Bruns, Blogs, Wikipedia, Second Life, and Beyond: From Production to Produsage, New York: Peter Lang, pp.101-136.
Axel Bruns – Blogs, Wikipedia, Second Life and Beyond: From Production to Produsage (ch. 1) (http://produsage.org/files/Produsage%20-%20Introduction.pdf)
Axel Bruns – "Produsage: Towards a Broader Framework for User-Led Content Creation." (http://produsage.org/files/Produsage%20(Creativity%20and%20Cognition%202007).pdf)
www.threadless.com
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1 comment:
Well I must say that was a fascinating post Josie, one I will read to my grandkids one day as they sport their threadless.com raiment.
I liked the example (threadless.com) you used to deconstruct and portray the beneficial qualities of produsage. It’s always favourable to use examples to make florid terms of the universtity clerisy more accessible and understandable. I hope Dr. Bruns doesn’t take that the wrong way.
This post was very reminiscient of the “Nouveau Niche” concept put forth by trendwatching.com. Yes, it’s true that the rise of the Internet has subsequently led to a rise in self-awarness ergo a rise in individuality. Trendwatchin.com (2005) sums it up as “Consumers are more individualized than ever, expecting every good, service and experience to be addressing their unique and oh so important selves.” Hubris aside from that statement it infers a need for such readily available, distinct products. This is a parallel draw with your threadless.com example.
Another parallel draw between your adaptation of Jenkin’s expert logic vs. community logic idea is that of Trendwatchin.com’s idea on consumers. “Consumers are also more experienced than ever. They expertly cut through the crap, ignore advertising, and know which quality and price levels are fair” Trendwatching.com (2005).
In conclusion this blog was an enlightening read on the practicality and efficiency of produsuage and web 2.0.
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