First let me give you the definitions of communal and civic contributions, as defined by Shirky. Communal contributions are defined as being "enjoyed by the participants, but not of much use for society at large." Civic contributions are defined as useful information that can be utilized by the masses that people can benefit from.
The example that was given for communal contributions, were cat memes:
- It can be enjoyed by almost everyone.
- It can be used as a way of relaxation in our hectic world.
- Anyone can create this kind of content.
- It is very informal and engaging.
Cons of communal contributions:
- It doesn't help get anything accomplished.
- There is an overload of this type of content.
- It can be a waste of time.
- It can be addicting.
The example for civic contributions was a website that tracked distressed communities during a difficult time:
- The information that is needed can be distributed very quickly.
- Not one person knows what everyone else knows.
- It makes people feel helpful for informing someone else about something.
- People are not just consuming content, but they are creating and sharing valuable content.
Cons of civic contributions:
- Not everyone cares about helping others.
- Some people think it is a waste of time.
- Others think it is too much work.
- People think it isn't their job to inform the public.
I think that both of these types of content contributions are important to a highly functioning society. We need to find some kind of balance between the two though, because we can't just pay attention to our short-term desires, but also long-term. Blog followers, am I alone in thinking that? Do you think that, yes, we should be able to enjoy ourselves in the moment with a good meme, but we also should at one time feel compelled to share information to better the community around us for generations to come? Also, which type of contributions are you more likely to participate in? I am guilty of sharing one too many memes with a good pun, but I do try to share content that betters my community.