User-Generated Content (UGC) is a term that has come into the mainstream during 2005 in web publishing and new media content production circles. It refers to on-line content that is produced by users of websites as opposed to traditional media producers such as broadcasters and production companies. It reflects the democratisation of media production through new technologies that are accessible and affordable. These include digital video, blogging, podcasting, mobile phone photography and, of course, wikis. Prominent examples of websites based on User-Generated Content include Flickr, Friends Reunited, FourDocs, YouTube, Revver, Second Life and Wikipedia. The advent of User-Generated Content marks a shift among media organisations from creating on-line content to creating the facilities and framework for non-media professionals (i.e. 'ordinary people') to publish their own content in prominent places. GOOD BLOGS: For and Against Bizarre Things Games Casino Sudoku Challenge Star Wars REDIRECT Blog ... Podcasting is the method of distributing multimedia files, such as audio or video programs, over the Internet using syndication feeds, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers. ... Flickr is a photo sharing website and web services suite, and an online community platform, which is generally considered an example of a Web 2. ... Founded by Steve and Julie Pankhurst, Friends Reunited is a British web site that helps users get in contact with people from their past. ... FourDocs is an online documentary site provided by Channel 4 which is based in London. ... YouTube is a popular free video sharing web site which lets users upload, view, and share video clips. ... An example of a RevTag advert at the last frame of a video. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Wikipedia is a multilingual, Web-based free content encyclopedia project. ...

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), for example, set up a User-Generated Content (UGC) team as a pilot in April 2005 with 3 staff. In the wake of the 7 July 2005 London bombings and the Buncefield oil depot fire, the team was made permanent and was expanded, reflecting the arrival in the mainstream of the 'citizen journalist'. During the Buncefield disaster the BBC received over 5,000 photos from viewers. The debate over the publication of the Mohammed cartoons (January 2006) prompted over 22,000 emails from viewers in the first couple of weeks. The BBC does not normally pay for content generated by its viewers. This article is an overview article about the Crown chartered British Broadcasting Corporation formed in 1927. ... The references in this article would be clearer with a different and/or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. ... The 2005 Hertfordshire Oil Storage Terminal fire began after a series of explosions early on the morning of 11 December 2005. ... The controversial cartoons of Muhammad, first published in Jyllands-Posten in September 2005. ...

In the twenty-first century user-generated content has been a path to mainstream success for some. Afroman's novelty song Because I Got High became the most requested song on American radio in July of 2002 due to its success on Napster. Internet blogger Maddox's web page The Best Page in the Universe gained significant popularity on the internet leading to the success of his book The Alphabet of Manliness, released during the summer of 2006. In that same summer Brooke Brodack, also known as Brookers, was signed into a talent development deal by Carson Daly based on her short skits on YouTube. Afroman Afroman (born Joseph Mortimer Foreman on July 28, 1974) is a rap artist from South Central, Los Angeles, California. ... A novelty song is a usually intentionally humorous song, usually in published or recorded form. ... Because I Got High is a comical novelty rap song by Afroman, from his albums Because I Got High and The Good Times, about how cannabis is degrading his quality of life. ... Second version (revised 2001) of Napster logo: Cat wearing headphones. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Best Page in the Universe is a personal satirical humor website created by self-proclaimed pirate George Ouzounian, better known as Maddox, from Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. The site originated from a text document he wrote listing 50 things that made him angry. ... The Alphabet of Manliness is a humor book written by Internet satirist and self-proclaimed pirate George Ouzounian, who is better known by his pseudonym Maddox. ... Brooke Allison Brookers Brodack (born April 7, 1986, in Putnam, Connecticut) is a viral video maker living in Holden, Massachusetts. ... Premiere Carson Jones Daly (born June 22, 1973 in Santa Monica, California) is an American television personality. ... YouTube is a popular free video sharing web site which lets users upload, view, and share video clips. ...

There is a distinction between UGC websites which contain open content (distributed under open licences like Creative Commons licences), enabling other users to re-use and remix the video or other content, and those which do not. You Tube is an example of the former, Revver of the latter. Revver bills itself as "the first viral video network that pays. We believe in your talent and your right to share it with the world on your terms." Users get revenue from their work by way of a 50/50 split on advertising revenue generated from ads automatically attached to the UGC video contributions. Version 2 of Some Rights Reserved logo No Rights reserved logo The Creative Commons (CC) is a non-profit organization devoted to expanding the range of creative work available for others legally to build upon and share. ... YouTube is a website that allows users to upload, view, and share video clips. ... An example of a RevTag advert at the last frame of a video. ...

See also

• Citizen journalism
• Egoboo
• Resident (Second Life)
• Stizer

Citizen journalism, also known as participatory journalism, is the act of citizens playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information according to the seminal report We Media: How Audiences are Shaping the Future of News and Information, by Shayne Bowman and Chris... Egoboo is the rush received from public recognition of a free contribution, possibly derived from ego boost. The term is used to describe the motivational incentive for programmer participation within the open source movement and for volunteer participation in science fiction fandom. ... For other uses of the term Resident, see the Resident disambiguation page) In the context of Second Life, the term Resident is applied to a person who has a stake in the world (login required): Robin Linden (in response to the question of who coined the term Resident and why... It is proposed that this article be deleted, because of the following concern: non-notable neologism If you can address this concern by improving, copyediting, sourcing, renaming or merging the page, please edit this page and do so. ...

References

"BBC gears up for citizen reporters" 2006 (16th February), Broadcast (the primary UK tv and broadcast media tradepaper) [premium, non-public content - http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/broadcastnowArticle.aspx?intStoryID=156740&strSearch=Buncefield%20bbc]

External links

Wikinews has news related to:

• New web search engine uses only user-generated results
• User-generated search engine "Jatalla" launched

• The New Wisdom of the Web An article about social networks and user-generated content
• FourDocs Video-based UGC
• 121 Text-based UGC
• Associated Content A professional UGC community
• Reality Digital A company that provides UGC solutions
• Unified Theory of UGC