1) What is the author's understanding of convergence culture
The author sees it as a way of explaining the communities that have sprung up on the internet as a way of communicating. Specifically, how people react and interact with others and the source material of things they like, and how that has been opened up from a select few with access to journals or other ways of publishing opinions. Now, in contrast, literally anyone with the passion can come together and respond to media as a group.
2) What is creative engagement?
Creative engagement, in this sense, is how people are able to interact with the media that was, until recently, very much a one way street of communication. Now the audience is able to do something with what they have gained. This can be communities to create videos or works of art or stories about what they love, or it can be participating in group activities, such as the Survivor fans who try and deduce the next show's location.
3) How are participator's engaging?
Essentially any one of contributing is a way of engaging. You can be one of the people who produce these works or help do the research for these projects, or you can simply offer your own knowledge and time to help with them. Also importantly, there are people who might not directly contribute, but who help simply by being a form of audience as well. The people who look at the art or read the stories or talk about the research are just as much a part of the engagement as any others, because they are the ones these things are essentially produced for.
I liked how you talked about how simply being an observer also makes you a participant. I had only thought of people that create and post material as participators, but the people who directly contribute material wouldn't do so unless they had an audience.
ReplyDeleteWow, you explained this way more easily than I did. It's crazy how much our convergence culture has shape our lives. Everyday is filled with the convergence of different mediums and media, allowing for so much interaction amongst a plethora of audiences. I like how you included people who create content based on the media they enjoy as well. I feel those people really expand the created content and make the media more diverse and creative.
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