jake olsen

You have users, they can also be customers, co-workers, friends, and family, but first, they were called people.

The phrase “user generated content” takes the stigma off generalizes what this content actually is. Emotions, fears, desires, resentments. The very personal nature of this content screams for respect, and needs to be treated in a different manner by organizations wishing to capitalize on “user generated content”.

When I replace the term user with a friends actual name, it puts a much different (literal) face on the phrase:

“Matt generated content”

Huh? It makes no sense to dehumanize Matt. I’m talking about his feelings, his thoughts. Not his “generated content”. Aren’t we generating content all the time? Instead couldn’t we call it:

“(insert corporation here) captured content”?

It all comes down to people, and the relationships I have with those people. Do they trust me? Do I honestly respect their feelings, thoughts, emotions, and actions? I guess that all depends on the human I am.

Watch my actions first, and then my words.

–jake