Loser Generated Content

In the article "Loser Generated Content: From Participation to Exploitation," Soren Mork Peterson discusses the different ways as to how the large corporations take advantage of the user-generated content to earn lots of money. The majority of people see Web 2.0 as a freedom of expression and to post anything that we please online for the world to see, but in reality, Web 2.0 is a place for free labour, losers and exploitation. These words are part of what happens online, and for the sake of history, always have happened. It has become a regular thing on the Web and the amount of privacy on it will probably never get any better.

       One of the most interesting and productive aspects of Web 2.0, and also one of the problematic ones is said to be the relational character of these technologies. Learning to think rationally is the first step to build a more rational world. We need to view the world as relations instead of objects and subjects. We need to make sure that when we are looking at how Web 2.0 creates significance and value. This is important because it explains why specific type of software and practices related to it can be exploitative yet create pleasure for its users at the same time.

       The social network website of Facebook is a perfect example. We are entertained by it and it is one of the most used social networking sites of today. Facebook has become a sort of drug to society. We use it for interacting with friends from school or work, playing games, uploading pictures and letting people what you are up to, and especially used for finding old friends. It has been so successful that director David Fincher decided to create a film about it. In it's opening weekend, it made $22,445,653. It was one of the most successful films of 2010.

       Facebook may have its perks with communicating, but it definitely has its disadvantages with the amount of exploitation. So many people around the world can hack your account, take your pictures, and do many other illegal things to your account. Everybody can see your profile even if you think you set your profile to private. Social networking sites use a typical infrastructure of hosting all the content produced by their users. Whether it is sharing music, pictures, or different types of content, these types of sites have some commonalities when offering different platforms for users to share content. Along with the content you are uploading and comments post on other friend's profiles, they allow the opportunity to create your own personal profile. Added to this you get your friends and contact list. Unfortunately, the only way to keep your identity is to constantly update your information, and be an active member of the website's community by commenting on friend's profiles and communicating with them. People may end up creating a strong bond with the site and the community that you are part of which makes these websites so successful.

       We have been participating in Web 2.0 for years and it has really become an addiction. It has taken advantage of us and is definitely exploiting us 100% more than we ever expected or wanted to.