Why the Web Will Always Belong to Dictators

The web 2.0 movement may have introduced the idea of user generated content however this content in and of itself is only worth marginally as much as other forms of content. Just as design by committee results with watered down concepts with little impact, crowd sourced content does the same just on a much larger level. In my opinion user submitted content is not the democracy that so many people believe it to be, I would consider it to be more of an anarchy. Without a creative visionary (dictator) to at least foster and lead the environment it is sure to fail.

WHY A DICTATOR?

While dictatorships may not be the most successful method of governance, they have been extremely successful within companies and publications. For example consider how Steve Jobs runs Apple. While he may be known for pushing his employees too far, he also is known for creating some of the most revolutionary products ever designed. Why is this? It is because he meticulously oversees every aspect of the project. In the case of publications you could consider the editor to be the dictator. Applying the idea of an editor to any online publication is exactly the same. By maintaining the overall message of the site through closely watched control a sites content maintains its quality and relevance to the overall topic.

EXAMPLES OF THE SHORTCOMINGS OF USER SUBMITTED CONTENT

I can think of three reasons why a focused dictator (not overbearing or corrupt) is important and why social sites will fail if left to their own devices.

Monetization

Every effort that people devote time towards has to generate value at some point. That value doesn’t specifically have to be money but monetization is a great example of how community-based sites are failing to meet the advertising potential of their editor controlled peers. Anyone who follows the tech industry is very aware of the fact that sites like facebook, myspace, and YouTube have struggled to generate substantial advertising dollars. Take this article on epicenter blog for example, which states that YouTube may begin employing even more annoying ads in an attempt to reach its users.

Another problem these sites face in regards to monetization is the content that they share. Advertisers who are unwilling to risk the possibility of a tarnished brand name are afraid to place their ads next to content that is potentially risqué. No advertiser of wholesome family products will ever want to be advertising next to some college kid’s “shaming” photos.

Group Think

Users of social news sites know this all to well. Content submitted that becomes popular creates trends which in turn create countless spoofs, parodies, copies and even blatant rip offs. This is limited to social news sites either, I wrote earlier how this same thing happens with web design inspiration sites. The droves of similar content to these sites outpace the original content and in turn hide the true gems hidden within the sites that would probably benefit a site to showcase.

Vocal Minorities

Vocal groups of minority users tend to gain popularity within these types of sites. If these users are not properly addressed they have a way of making a non-issue a huge problem. These users typically are upset about features or services that do not relate to the core audience, and if given there own way would probably sabotage the site. A great example of this can be found in this article by the founder of colourLovers who learned this lesson both in volunteer run organizations and on the web. A similar example in the physical world would be the early reviews of the macbook air circulating the web. The complaints being made at the time were contradictory to the goal of the device, and if listened to could have hindered the success the device found.

Creativity comes from vision, and unfocused submissions / writing does not create vision. Editors just may be finding their role expand as the web is surely in need of their services. I would love to hear an editor’s opinion or one of someone who runs a completely community run site. If that is you, or you just want to let me know your opinion on the subject, please post it below.