eProducts

According to Bruns (2008):

"There is an absence of producers, distributors, or consumers, and the presence of a seemingly endless string of users acting incrementally as content producers by gradually extending and improving the information present in the information commons, the value chain begins and ends (but only temporarily, ready for further development) with content."

What Bruns (2008) is referring to in his above statement is PRODUSAGE. "Produsage is the collaborative anf continuous buildingn and extending of existing content in pursuit of further improvement." Participant's in such activities are known as PRODUSERS.

Produsers are not producers (in the traditional sense). Rather than creating content based on the conventional, linear model of production, produsers generate content from content.

Traditional model of production:-

PRODUSER>>>DISTRIBUTOR>>>CONSUMER

The produser:-

CONTENT>>>PRODUSER>>>CONTENT

Therefore Produsers are simultaneously producers AND users if you compare their actions to the conventional production model.

Now, Bruns (2008) claims that because of Produsage there is now an absence of producers, distributors and consumers and instead a string of users acting incrementally as content producers by gradually extending and improving the information present in the information commons, but I disagree. They may not exist in the traditional sense (see first model presented above) but this does not necessarily eliminate their existence. Produsers are all of the above; they produce, distribute and consume all at the same time! The content Prousers provide/create/modify improves on existing material (although this is obviously debatable in every instance) and add to the market. The act of Produsage does not eliminate the art of production, instead it alters how products are being generated.

The content made by Produsers is still 'new', as it is different to the original. Produser's build upon content that already exists and try to make it better. Their work can expand the audience of the existing product, or find a new audience all together.

The work that is produced by a Produser can be very clever and often very entertaining. For example, take this video, "Charlie Bit my Finger - Again!", one of Youtube's most watched clips:

Now, take a look at the "Remix":

This is PRODUSAGE at it's finest.

I think Produsage is great and YouTube is an excellent space to find it. Many, many Produsers have upload their content onto the site and have subsequently had their content viewed by millions of people around the world...go and take a look! Among other things you'll find many variations to the "Charlie Bit my finger" video, and following list provides some great search terms for videos that all have had Produsers put their own spin on things:

• Mother of all Funk Chords
• Hitler finds out
• Evil eye baby
• Christian Bale takes David to the Dentist (Mash-Up)

Be sure to check out the original and the 'remix' to discover Produsage at work. Happy viewing!