PRODUCE... I Mean Produsage

What the crap is Produsage? If that was your first thought welcome to my world. If you also thought like me you would’ve assumed that it was something to do with producing things, congrats you’re practically correct!

During the industrial revolution we relied on mass produced goods distributed from a central company. In modern times we can create our own goods and content, with the assistance of the internet.

The idea put forth by Axel Bruns is that we aren’t just passive consumers anymore. When you actively participate in a community by contributing back to it you are becoming a producer. The best example of this would have to be YouTube. By uploading content you’ve made or filmed so that others can watch or consume it, you are becoming a producer. Still not getting it? Well, ever heard of Wikipedia (I am guessing if you’re a student yes, yes you have heard of Wikipedia)? Wikipedia is an online encyclopaedia which can be edited by those who know more information about a particular topic.

However, can produsage also be considered plagiarism?
Consider this 

This video by Walk Off The Earth is fantastic, but it isn’t their song, it is a cover of Gotyes song ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’. Usually if there is something so blatantly in breach of copyright YouTube will take it down. They are even making money off the song by directing people to purchase if off iTunes. In the description they don’t mention it is a cover until they direct you to buy their copy and after a massive list of tour dates (go check it out, that list is HUGE).  However, they do thank Kimbra and Gotye for writing the song, but does that excuse the breach? I mean if Men at Work can be sued because their song resembled a famous Australian Children song (Kookaburra Laugh or whatever it’s called), surely they can be in breach of copyright. Having said that I really hope they don’t because I actually really like this cover.

As put forth by Axel Bruns there are four key principles of produsage:

• Open Participation/ Communal Evaluation
• Fluid Heterarchy/ Ad Hoc Meritocracy
• Unfinished Artefacts/ Continuing process
• Common Property/ Indivual Rewards.

(http://produsage.org/)