Scobleizer - Latest Comments in I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

nono — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 16:11:41 -0000

When we write we are writers, when we photograph we are photographers. When we contribute we are contributors. When you pay us we are partners or staff.

Calling us "users" is an insult. It implies that we are somehow parasites. If we are contributing to your bottom line you should treat us with more respect than that.

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

LJ Cigam — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 00:02:46 -0000

I just found this over at Blogspot and thought it made a lot of sense: COMMER. Focuses on communication, has a nice tech feel, and covers the entire range logically.
http://kepink.blogspot.com

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

jurij lotman — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 17:17:23 -0000

Bill Withers wise words on this question: "Well my friends feel it`s their appointed duty / They keep trying to tell me all you want to do is use me / Well my answer said all that use me stuff / Is I wanna spread the news / That if it feels this good getting used / Oh you just keep on using me / Until you use me up -- Talking `bout you using me / well it all depends on what you do / it ain`t too bad the way you`re using me / cause I sure am using you to do the things you do / Uh huh, until you use me up ..."

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

jurij lotman — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 16:59:06 -0000

thought about it. surprising solution: USER is the best. i don't like the romanticizing of the "social" aspect of software. it's still about signs on screens. and USER has a cool air of self-reflection: knowing what you are doing. the problem is probably mor with the notion of "CONTENT": that's a term i really hate (and it's wrong too).

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

Roger Jennings — Sun, 13 Nov 2005 10:34:25 -0000

If folks who run thin- or thick-client software are "users," aren't those who develop and market the software "pushers?"

--rj

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

Jill — Sat, 12 Nov 2005 10:05:34 -0000

I love the idea of calling people "participants".

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

orcmid — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 14:36:56 -0000

Naturally, I didn't think of what strikes me as the most important until I clicked "Post."

I think the choice of terms for you is what works for you. What I treasure is that you are willing to examine what that is and what are the sources of "ick" that you don't want to perpetuate in your own speaking. Go for it.

Your friendly blog participant, orcmid [;

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

orcmid — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 14:33:03 -0000

As I started reading your post, I thought of participant, so it was cool to end up in the same place with you.

I disagree with Tony Bishop about this. Language is very important and very small nuances can matter a great deal. "User," "customer," and the like do tend to allow objectivisation and separation from others who are participating with us in an economy, for example. It is useful to find terms that interrupt those automatic postures (even though the new will become automatic at some point).

A related example that I hadn't fully appreciated until recently, while minding my language around pattern languages, might be helpful (http://nfocentrale.net/TROS....

Consider the contrast between thinking of users as having problems for which our software is a solution and regarding how our customers will participate in a world of opportunity and action in which our software is employed as a valuable instrument.

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

Susan Kuchinskas — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 14:00:20 -0000

This discussion is mostly from the POV of the providers of tech to do all this cool stuff we [the people] now can do. From my personal POV when I *use* these tools, I'm just "I."

From the company's point of view, I don't think it's so bad to think of us as users, in the sense of a sysadmin's users, i.e the people you have to support.

From the, um, end-user perspective, I think most of us are fully aware of the bargain we make when we enjoy ad-supported stuff. If we don't want a company to make money off what we produce, we're free not to use their tools. Personally, I pay a little bit a month to use Typepad for blogging, because I think it works better.

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

Richard Brownell — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 13:36:16 -0000

I think there's little needs to argue over the semantics of a few words here. Particularly since the argument breaks down many times. Here's one example from the linked article:

"They are smart"

I had a longer, more biting post written, but it was lame. It basically came to a few points:

1) The average techie or pro blogger is not representative of the average person
2) Look at myspace/livejournal/blogger/msnspaces/etc. for the quality of the average user

Basically, don't give "users" too much credit. Most of what they "generate" is pure garbage. I defy you to look at a few hundred users on the services listed in 2 and tell me differently.

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

just — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 13:18:28 -0000

creator? writer? god? godess? dev?

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

Nick — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 13:08:53 -0000

I think that even in general terms, "user" has a bad conotation. Personally, I don't (and won't let) anyone on our operations team use the term "user". Everyone is client or a customer. Or in Scoble's case on this topic, maybe you coule go so far as to say "consumer", but then again "consumer-generated-content" sounds a little off.

Maybe we can think of users more in terms of web architecture. Web browsers used to be clients, using servers. Now, they're smart-clients that work with the servers - blurring the line between user and author. So say, "Intelligent Content authors"... yeah, maybe something like that.

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

David Kline — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 11:55:56 -0000

"Citizen" suggests not just the non-professional status of an amateur, but also someone endowed with rights and responsibilities to others in his social domain.

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

Easton Ellsworth — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 11:45:34 -0000

I looked in Merriam-Webster's online thesaurus for words related to "user," and while I couldn't find any, I found the definition there amusing: "A person who regularly uses drugs especially illegally."

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

David Kline — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 11:23:05 -0000

What's wrong with "citizen generated content."

As in, every citizen now has a voice (for better or worse).

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

Mathew — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 11:14:05 -0000

I guess whether you're being used or not depends on what you intended when you created the "user generated content," whatever that might be. If you have a blog, presumably you're doing it because you want people to read it, and if a service like Blogger or MSN Spaces or even Google helps get more people to read it, then they're doing you a favour -- so why shouldn't they get something out of it too? Same thing with Flickr. Presumably you put your pictures there so that people can see them. Flickr helps more people see them, and you help them by letting them run ads next to your content. The word partnership comes pretty close, I would think. If you don't want them to make money from your content, don't use their service.

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

Walter Lounsbery — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 10:37:28 -0000

Hmmm, the whole phrase "user generated content" is smoke for the real verbs that should be used for content. It's "contributed content", "attributed content", and "stolen content", right? The phrase is used to hide what the actual "user" is doing with your stuff.

The word "content" here also strives for distance from reality. Bloggers write articles or essays or journals. Flickr gets contributions of pictures. Content is the most loose description of some very specific things.

I hope I'm not starting some flamewar on "open content" now by recognizing that the author might have some connection to their writing.

Oh, did I say "author"? Maybe that's the noun and verb that is key?

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

/pd — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 09:58:53 -0000

Larry #27: has a good spin on who is the actual user ? Is it me or the corporations that drive revenue off that content ?

Anyhoot-most content is created under the ccc banner and if I were to use/copy other stuff for non revenue efforts , it becomes "fair use". Yeah, we have seen how the needle moves both ways.

Actually we are all trolls, when we look at it. We troll where conversations occur and based on that spew our minds out again.

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

Larry Borsato — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 09:32:58 -0000

And really, if instead of "Upload photos", Flickr said "Upload your user generated content", would you be as apt to use it?

It does one thing very well - manage photos - rather than trying to manage everything.

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

Andy Freeman — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 09:32:35 -0000

Author and producer are both accurate.

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

Larry Borsato — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 09:30:09 -0000

I am not a "member" of the internet thanks. I am not part of a network of computers, though my laptop may be.

I am an email user, even though I both send and receive. I don't "participate" in email. I am an MSN, Yahoo!, or Google user, even though I both create and consume.

Users "use" a service, regardless of what the service is.

And I don't "create content". I save my pictures, and I write my thoughts.

If you provide a useful service to me for free, then I really don't care if you make money from it.

But if you a company conspires to make money by using me, doesn't that make them the "users"?

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

Rob Rohr — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 09:20:09 -0000

If you're concerned about the provider's self image, then go with your first instinct.

"If you look at folks who make content as a partner..."

Call it partner generated content. If you're looking for something a little hipper, go with "pardner."

PGC. Has a nice ring. Sounds vaguely pharmaceutical.

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

Whatever — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 09:05:39 -0000

I DON'T CARE IF I'M A USER, A LUSER, OR A PARTICIPANT.

What I care about is that Microsoft Antispyware doesn't detect the Sony Rootkit.

Screw you microsoft, and your corporate buddies.

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

orbit — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 08:18:57 -0000

looks like Scoble didn't have anything to blog about this morning so he wrote this...ughhh..

btw if the Execs like my idea I told you I would like a marketing interview\internship..thank you..

Re: I don’t just “use” the Internet, so why am I a user?

Geoff — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 08:07:45 -0000

"User generated content" always seems to be a bit of a oxymoron to me - unless it means I am a user of a publishing service eg wordpress