Our Contribution to the Internet

As more and more people are becoming comfortable with the internet, it is now the first place to seek information. Whether you are looking up a term on wikipedia or reading what john smith has to say about a topic, more than likely, you are reading "User Generated Content" or UGC. UGC is anything published by an individual on the internet. As Lisa Barone, in User Generated Content & Search, pointed out, UGC comes in many different forms, such as blogs, reviews, forums, media sharing, webpages, profiles, and news comments.

There are two obvious sides to this topic. On one hand, you have information from users just like you. More often then not, they are looking for similar services and quality in products. These other users will help you in your search for whatever you are looking for.

On the other hand, you don't know these people. There is this sense of trust that you instill in their information. I must say, we seem to trust other users more and more as we rely on these reviews and forums. Since they have become a first source for many, we sometimes forget or choose to forget that we don't know these people.

I admit, I'm one of those people who rely on UGC. Growing up using computers and internet, I never sought information from alternative means. It's important to be conscience and aware of what you're reading on the internet. Blogs are usually opinions as well as reviews. Remember, don't believe everything you hear, especially when you don't know the person who said it.