Paper long abstract:

Media practices of creating user-generated content (UGC) are considered to be related to the following rewards: obtaining public acknowledgement; earning peer recognition; building reputation in a community; expressing oneself; developing skills that can become a profession. With UGC related to cultural heritage, sharing knowledge and contributing to a common idea is often seen as key stimuli (e.g., professional and amateur subject specialists might be prompted to contribute local content in different languages). UGC related to cultural heritage is considered to complement institutionally provided content by offering new information on cultural phenomena; transforming static content authority into dynamic, multisided knowledge platform; fostering understanding of culture as an ongoing process. However, UGC is also considered to introduce unverified and/or difficult to verify popular knowledge; debates on reliable content related to sensitive multicultural issues; difficulties related to intellectual property. This paper will explore both rewards and challenges of UGC related to cultural heritage.