Faulkner, Susan, and Jay Melican. "Getting Noticed, Showing‐Off, Being Overheard: Amateurs, Authors and Artists Inventing and Reinventing Themselves in Online Communities." Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Conference Proceedings. Vol. 2007. No. 1. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2007.

This paper presents early findings from an ethnographically-inspired research project focusing on individuals engaged in creating and distributing original media online, such as blogs, vlogs, and social networking sites. Profiles of creative individuals from diverse cultural contexts are provided, including a children's book author in Los Angeles, video bloggers in New York, an ex-pat journalist in Dubai, and a cosmetics expert in Seoul, South Korea. The paper explores the motivations of these "lead users," their self-perceptions as authors and artists, and their interactions with readers and viewers. Additionally, it discusses the relevance of these insights to Intel Corporation's Digital Home Group.