Reconstructor
This is an attempt to explain the concept of Reconstructors, predicted to be the next big players on the internet. Most of the explanations below are from the 'Media PPT' presentation of Umair Haque at Bubble Generation.
See URL = http://www.bubblegeneration.com/
A reconstructor is defined by Umair Haque as:
"a player that reconstructs new casts/streams/micromedia from the most valuable bits of the micromediaverse. Reconstructors offer a significantly more powerful value prop than dumb or smart aggregators, which are their predecessors" (http://www.bubblegeneration.com/2005/06/search-2.cfm)
So, given that most content is now created on the edges, some companies simply aggregate (in a dumb or a 'smart' way), while reconstructors give added value by creating knowledge pools.
Reconstructors merge Smart Aggregation with Micromedia Platforms. What does that mean?
1. Explaining Smart Aggregation
Umair Haque defines aggregation as:
‘Rebundling of content from fragmented platforms & formats, repurposing, & delivery across new platforms & standards’
Dumb Aggregators simply bring material together. But how do you find the really interesting bits?
Smart Aggregators therefore try to add intelligence to the process.
Umair Haque:
"A Smart Aggregator "Allows consumers to navigate complex media landscapes by efficiently allocating scarce attention according to preferences and expectations. They leverage deep information about content to predict utility derived by consumers, slashing search and transaction costs of consumption. They use technologies like Collaborative filters, Recommendation & rating systems Similarity & difference filters. Smart aggregation is aggregation of content plus … i.e. aggregation of information, expectations, and preferences about content."
2. Explaining Micromedia Platforms
Micromedia Platforms offer a platform for microcontent (blogs, podcasts, game mods, playlists, etc...) but focus on quality. Your microchunk becomes an asset for somebody else who wants to make complementary goods. Haque says that they bring the cost down of differentiating your microchunk from somebody elses. They bring the cost of attention allocation down.
3. Reconstructors
says Umair Haque, combine both Smart Aggregation and the Micromedia Platforms.
"The Reconstructor is the aggregator 3.0. It makes media truly personal by leveraging plasticity They deconstruct micromedia by altering, remixing, and filtering microchunks … enabling users to reconstruct ‘casts of personal media. They unbundle microchunks from micromedia … i.e. they render the data independent from their human and technological source."
Examples:
1) Last.fm = Unbundles tracks from albums and playlists to reconstruct new playlists the collaborative filter predicts you’ll like
2) Technorati tag search: Reconstructs a result set of cross-media objects by tag
Conclusion: "Reconstructors will evolve naturally wherever media is plastic. Wherever microchunks can be unbundled from micromedia. Wherever contribution and aggregation of info about consumption is cheap."
4. Prediction for internet content based business strategies
"Smart Aggregators, Micromedia Platforms, and Reconstructors will consolidate horizontally and then fragment vertically. They will consolidate across media, as this realizes economies of scope, as Google has done, gradually encompassing different media formats, BUT, they will fragment and specialize by industry or market space, because this realizes specialization gains. For example, Google's dominance is challenged by Become (product reviews), Mobissimo (travel search), FindWhat (article search), Technorati (blog search"