Citizens, from consumers to prosumers: e-Government Services Typologies Revisted

Abstract

Traditionally, eGovernment services have been classified according to a four step ladder, with increasing complexity, and an underlying assumption that the more complex, the better. In this paper, I argue that this classification is severely limited, in the light of the active role a citizen should be able to play in the society, not only consuming public services, but also being actively involved in producing content in connection to public service provision. Whereas dramatic changes are found in other areas of the IT-world, e.g. in the media where the contributions of individuals are getting just as important as that of traditional organizations, and where so-called Web 2.0 services outperform services made in a more traditional manner, these ideas do not seem to yet have reached the eGovernment sector.