Abstract
The introduction identifies and describes the key issues, topics and challenges of the ‘participatory turn’ associated with the claimed democratization of the Internet. It assesses online interactions, work or play, for profit or not, that are largely happening on corporate platforms . Several key concepts and models, such as ‘convergence culture’ and ‘culture of connectivity’, are applied to capture the dynamics and logic of user participation on such platforms, uncovering common assumptions rooted in implied conjectures about technology and creativity, producers and users, commerce and community. The main goal is to raise critical awareness about claims made and mechanisms at work. The chapter sets the stage for discussing user participation in the games/3D-software industry and implications with regard to the transformative potential of mod communities.
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van der Graaf, S. (2018). Designing for Mod Development. In: ComMODify. Dynamics of Virtual Work. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61500-4_1
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