Blog 9 Produsage

Write a little about how the concept of produsage connects to: 1) the features of the internet; 2) internet mindsets (as set forward by Lankshear & Knobel); 3) the concept of remediation; 4) the ideas underpinning the intensive information exchange for flashmobs; and finally, the community that underpins Wikipedia itself.

The article “The Key Characteristics of Produsage” talks about one producing , distributing, and being the consumer themselves all at once and get feedback from a network of people. The following readings are connected to produsage.

1.) The features of the internet are all based on selling a product whether it is a website or the product itself on the website. Whoever invented something is the producer. For example, one may go online to http://www.wachovia.com/ or http://www.cvs.com/. We go on a website that someone made, and then we either buy something we like, such as clothes, perfumes, cell phones, etc or we pay our bills online. The buyers are the consumers. And one doesn't have to necessarily have to buy something to become a consumer. One could go on a any website for a few seconds or hours, and just by being on that website browsing around not buying anything one becomes a consumer as well because the producer on the other side can check how many hits his or her website received that day.

2.) Internet mindsets bring forth the whole concept of producing. For example, according to Lankshear & Knobel in this article, mindset 1 consider tools, material artifacts and commodities, the individual person, and industrial model being all a part of production. These are physical/material and industrial principles and logics. The world is centered and hierarchical. I feel as if mindset 1 is more structured. Mindset 2 consider post-industrial, enabling services, and collectives being all a part of production. These are non material and post industrial principals and logics. The world is decentered and flat. I feel as if mindset 2 is not so structured.

3.) Produsage is used through remediation. According to the article, new producers collect pictures, graphics, and audio, etc. There is a need for immediacy. And this leads online media to borrow pictures, videos, and much more from other people. This whole concept is a producer, distributor, and consumer. Producers make, they distribute the information to others so that they may borrow something from someone else. The producer distributes information by using hypermedia (taking multiple things and joining them into various hyperlinks). And the consumer is you, me, and everyone else who goes on that website and clicks on other links from that website to find related or other information that we may need or are interested in.

4.) Flashmobs is all about produsage. The producer arranges the event. He or she makes up the plan, and then distributes the information to others through the usage of cell phone. They may send a text message as a chain letter to a group of people. Or the producer can distribute the information (time, location, etc.) through the usage of internet. The consumers are the ones who are receiving the message about the special event, and they all meet up and start performing and entertain others who are not involved in the planned event. For example, one may want to get a group of people to act like "Ninjas" and meet up at central park in NY at 2pm.

5.) Wikipedia is a collaboration website where anyone can look up a topic they want or need to look up for school, work, or for fun research. The producers are the ones who made the website. The producers are also the ones who make a page and edit pages on Wikipedia. They are ones who distribute the information to others, and we are the consumers who look up the information and use that information that may seem valid or not for our research papers and so on. We all work together to edit one page at a time to make the information on the page valid and better.

In conclusion, remediation, features of internet, flashmobs, Wikipedia, and internet mindsets are all collaborations of technology that contribute producers, distributors, and consumers. Without producers, distributors, and consumers there wouldn't be internet, cell phones, television, and everything else that is made, distributed, and bought. Everyone in this whole entire world is a part of this collaboration one way or another.