The Amateur Class, or, The Reserve Army of the Web

This article deals with the transformation of the computer industry that has been inaugurated by the new version of the Web. The advent of the social web—or Web 2.0, according to Tim O'Reilly (2006)—gives rise to the formation of the amateur class and to new modes of exploitation, as the amateur starts to have control over the means of Web production. The function of Web 2.0 within capitalist production is to exploit and valorize the volunteer contributions of amateurs. The argument on which this paper is based is that Web 2.0 exhibits both emancipatory and exploitative aspects, and the role of amateurs should be to foster one over the other.