More responses to 'what is user generated content?'

I asked the following questions to my friend Pauline, who is a Wholesale Manager for the Japanese Clothing line, YM (Fashion) UK.

1. What does 'user generated content' mean to you?  

Pauline: 

I was going to say that it actually means very little other than facebook - when in fact that’s pretty rubbish and I rely on it quite a bit whether it’s something entertaining or informative. It’s become a valid tool these days, or at least it’s so well established that it is everywhere.

2. How do you use 'user generated content'? 

Pauline:  

Holiday reviews – trip advisor, Restaurant reviews

News wise – live updates from members of the public there at the scene -such as the student riots, natural disasters.

Question and answer sites for research purposes for work.

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I also asked my friend Katie Hunter, who is video journalist for Channel 4 News, who is a professional sense creates 'user generated content'.

1. What is user generated content?

Katie:

UGC

UGC is literally content generated by a user.

2. How do you use 'user generated content'?

Katie:

For example on 7/7 we might have used lots of UGC because people on tubes would have filmed footage on their mobiles that TV cameras wouldn't have been able to get. We use lots of video from Youtube these days - for example the Japan tsunami created LOADS of UGC which we put online and on TV.

Another type of UGC might be us asking our Twitter followers what they think of NHS reforms and then using their replies in an online article.