Category: Topic 5

Topic 5 Reflection: Support Content Creators!

After browsing through many posts I realized that most of my classmates covered what Open Access is about – which is something my main post is lacking in. So, what is open access?

oa(Source: Created by me)

Open Access is a readily available library of free online articles that have full re-use rights.

Yong You’s post taught me about the pros and cons of Open Access, and stated Wikipedia as one of his examples. This is Wikipedia’s introduction page:

wiki

And when zoomed in it states that anyone can edit their page.

wiki2.JPG

(Source: Wikipedia page)

The fact that anyone can edit the page means that some of the information provided on the site is unreliable and not credible. In fact, this article proves that 6 in 10 articles on Wikipedia have factual errors! After earning such a bad reputation, I definitely would not submit my articles to Wikipedia if I was a content creator.

Norman’s post also mentioned about Open Access and related his own musical experience with the concept. He talked about how he is grateful to have free access to online tutorials that taught him how to become a music producer, and expresses his support for open access by uploading his self-produced music that is free to download on Soundcloud.

In my opinion, I think we as internet users are so spoiled by access to free materials, that we have become desensitized to the amount of effort that have been put in to create such content. This is evident in the many cases where a big company approaches a professional for free work. We should definitely correct this mindset by embracing the fact that being a content creator is a legitimate occupation just like any other job, and give these people the respect they deserve. Say no to plagiarism and consider supporting these creatives!


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Check out the posts I have commented on:

Yong You’s Post

Norman’s Post

References

Topic 5: Should online materials be free?

In recent years, studies have revealed that consumers spend more time on the internet as compared to traditional media. Thus, many content creators have made most of their content free and available online. Unfortunately, this also means that a new set of challenges arise for these new-media content creators.

Infographic: The Internet Is Gradually Replacing Traditional Media | Statista
(Source: Statista)
Infographic: Print Media's Relevance as a News Source Is Waning | Statista
(Source: Statista)

Firstly, who are Content Creators?

chart

(Source: Created by me)

Content Creators are people who develop newsworthy, educational and entertainment material for distribution over the Internet or other electronic media.

By making their content freely available online for the internet to use, content creators will be able to:

  • Gain more exposure and recognition for his work

Personally, I make it a point to reference research papers whenever I use it in my essay. The more people cite the essay, the more people acknowledge the author for his work!

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(Source: Google search by me)

  • Use the works of others to create your own content

An example of this would be using a music sample to create your own song.

This is a song by Jamie XX, in which he features a sample from a song called Could Heaven Ever Be Like This by Idris Muhammad.

The sample can be heard from 1:00 to 1:26 of the music video:


This is how the original sounds like:

However, there are also disadvantages to making one’s content free and available online.

By making their content freely available online for the internet to use, the content creator will experience:

  • Being a victim of copyright infringements

A prominent example would be Freebooting – it refers to the act of downloading someone else’s copyright-protected material, often from YouTube, and uploading it into Facebook’s native video player.

  • Stolen revenue and exposure / Unpaid work

If someone has stolen your work, they pocket the revenue that is garnered from the stolen content. And I quote the video:“ For a small creator, a viral video can mean the difference between a career and a hobby.” On the other hand, if content creators offer to make their work available for free, no one will be paying them to continue creating such content.

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An example of how I would watermark my content.
(Source: Photo taken by me)

In my opinion, I am for free content as it allows me to further my knowledge with free educational materials. However, it is still common for content to get stolen despite measures taken such as watermarking. Thus, content creators should strive to develop a digital identity so distinct, fans would be able to recognize their works immediately. This is so as to deter thieves from stealing anymore content.

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References