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April 06, 2006
Labels, what do they really mean?
In a humorous and thoughtful post that begins, “Dear internet,” Powazek suggests we rid the world of the label “user-generated content.” He advocates using real words, instead of the buzzphrase du jour, to talk about what people are creating online (ie. Reviews, photos, etc). However, he does suggest an alternate term to describe the whole shebang: Authentic Media.
“Authentic media comes to you unfiltered by the global brands and conglomerates that have taken over the mainstream media. Authentic media is the raw, first-person narrative you can find on blogs and homepages. Authentic media is what happens when the mediators get out of the way and give the mic over to the people who actually have something to say.
The best part about this phrase? It paints the rest of the mediascape as inauthentic. I can live with that.”
Authentic media doesn’t work for me, either. Neither does consumer-generated media. (See here for an explanation why. ) I prefer “Unwashed Mass Media.” Or, as has been used to describe web 2.0 (can’t get away from buzzphrases) – it’s made of people!
By the way, this discussion is nothing new. Last October, Robert Scoble declared “I’m sick of hearing about ‘user created content.” So it’s an ongoing conversation with pundits continually weighing in (“amateur” anyone?)… Let’s hear your suggestions, favorite phrases, or your most-hated buzzphrases.
-Emily Betwee
Posted by staff at April 6, 2006 01:45 PM
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