In Blogs, Wikipedia and Second Life and Beyond: From Production to Produsage, Axel Bruns investigates how digital participants have transformed into proactive creators and distributors of content. Dubbed “Generation C,” these users power the development of Web 2.0 platforms—from personal blogs and Wikipedia to virtual environments like Second Life. Bruns examines what lies beyond hype to reveal the social and technical dynamics at play.
At the heart of this exploration is the concept of produsage, a blend of production and usage that emphasizes collaborative, ongoing content development. Rather than fixed roles of producer versus consumer, produsage fosters flexible participation and shared authority, enabling communities to continuously build and refine knowledge.
Key principles of produsage include:
- Open participation that invites diverse contributions
- Fluid roles, allowing users to shift between author and editor
- Iterative content evolution through community-driven feedback
- Commons-based governance and collective ownership
Through detailed case studies and theoretical insights, this book illuminates how participatory cultures reshape creativity, economy, and democracy. It provides a foundational framework for anyone seeking to understand the profound cultural shift from isolated production toward communal knowledge creation.
