User-generated content (UGC) is material created by website users, such as Wikipedia and YouTube. UGC can be inaccurate or offensive, and not all content is authorized. Bloggers may earn profits from ads, while Wikipedia contributors are unpaid. UGC should be double-checked against recognized sources to avoid perpetuating false information.
User Generated Content (UGC) is material on websites, and occasionally other media sources, produced by users of the website. This is different from, for example, a website designed by a company that publishes material produced by professionals. In UGC, it is the amateur, in most cases, who contributes the content.
User-generated content has become extremely popular, and some of the most visited sites on the Internet are primarily user-generated. This is the case with sites like Wikipedia, where anyone can write an article competently enough. Other users can rate the content, suggest changes, or even make changes. Some site materials contain notices that an author is now espousing an opinion, or that some claims are unverifiable or have been questioned by other users.
No author is paid for contributions to Wikipedia, which makes this type of user-generated content distinct from other types. For example, blogging sites, where users can blog about any topic they wish, may contain ads which, if clicked on, mean a share of the profits for the bloggers. The percentage of profits varies from site to site.
Other times, bloggers may simply receive a percentage of the profit for having ads on their site and get paid by the number of people who visit the site. So there’s a particular drive to have blogs that will be read by others. This often results in better blogs being read by a large number of people. Excellence in writing can pay off.
Similar to Wikipedia is the popular YouTube, which has thousands upon thousands of examples of user-generated content. It should be noted that not all YouTube content is user-generated, however, as they may infringe copyrights by using songs or video clips that are protected by copyright laws. May use previously recorded professional material, such as for soundtrack, or in video remixes. Some professionally produced content is also created and distributed through the site.
Occasionally, a company will authorize their images or music for use on UGC sites, but other companies do not authorize this. When content that contains unapproved music or images is uploaded, it is usually found and removed from the site.
One of the challenges with user-generated content is that it may be inaccurate or espouse opinions or beliefs that others find offensive. People who rely on UCG sites to get information may get wrong answers and not think to confirm the information as often the printed or uploaded word is assumed to be true simply because it is written. Writers may assume authority or expertise where they have none, and the reader may not always be able to tell false from true.
At least for research purposes, UGC should be double-checked against more recognized sources, such as encyclopedias or dictionaries. This can help eliminate the perpetuation of fake material. Often, however, users themselves make corrections when the material is incorrect.
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