Only 1% of user generate Web 2.0 content?

They speak about 1% rule: only 1% of user generate the content in Web 2.0. But what are the true numbers?

 Mc Kinsey has recently aired a study on the topic.
Source: Mc Kinsey

The study shows that in fact 2% of Wikipedia User create 60 % of content. About 4% of Youtube und SecondLife user generate more than 90 % of content. The fat 10% of  del.icio.us user generate 60 % of its content. That comes closer to the 80-20 rule (Pareto principle). Robert Basic makes a conclusion that in fact the percentage of user generated content  of one site grows with the time.

What motivates people to contribute for free? – is the logical question one would ask. Mc Kinsey gives the following explanation:”At one cable company we studied, for example, more than half of the installers who contributed to an internal wiki said that social factors such as reputation building, team spirit, and community identification were the main factors motivating them to contribute.”

Even the more interesting question is however “How to motivate people to generate content?” Robert Basic suggests to give more space and motivation to “ego-users” and not to go on the “sharing and giving” track.

Well, that sounds reasonable for the modern times. People are used to follow the ego-path. It is an old trick of marketing and it would definitely work. For some time.

Recent future trend studies form all over the world show a growing tendency of less “I” more “we”.It seems like sharing and giving is becoming more and more attractive and reasonable.

Another good sign of a global human transformation going on. Silent but sure.

LOVE, axinia