User-Generated Content (UGC)

Abstract

1 In museums that moment seems to have coincided with the birth or, some would say, rebirth of the visitor as author of his/her own cultural experiences. Today many if not most museums have an explicit policy of involving 'multiple voices' in the construction and interpretation of their collections, through audience research, collecting oral histories and setting the museum staff in open dialogue with visitor feedback. New technologies are playing an increasing role in stimulating this sort of user-generated content (UGC): museums' websites invite emails and blogging from online visitors, visitors now create their own museum podcasts and downloadable audio tours, and some sites feature audio and video recording stations in the galleries. User-generated content seems to be the buzzword of the day and is commanding unprecedented levels of investment and speculation from leading media companies as well as start-ups. But what are the potential benefits and risks of the UGC game for content providers like museums? A definition of User-generated Content (UGC) To evaluate the value of UGC in the museum, it is useful to begin by defining it as distinct from other interactive experiences such as feedback, souvenirs and aide-mémoires. In museum multimedia experiences such as websites, in-gallery kiosks, and multimedia tours, examples of 'feedback' include interactives where visitors vote or answer yes/no and multiple-choice questions. Through these experiences, visitors participate in a larger community, but are creating meaning within a framework that is completely constructed and controlled by the museum. Souvenirs and aide-mémoires can be digital records of a visit or exhibit, such as 'bookmarks' in multimedia tours, maps showing where the visitor has been in the museum, or photos or other traces of their in-gallery activities that visitors create at designated points in the exhibition space. Again, the form of the interaction and input from visitors is highly structured and predetermined by the museum.