去技能化、自我剥削与写作游戏化:新媒体时代网文写手实证研究

De-skilling,Self-Exploitation and Gamification of Writing:An Empirical Study of Online Writers in the New Media Era

借助劳动过程理论视角,以在线观察和半结构式深度访谈为研究方法,探究当代网络文学生产过程中的劳动控制形式。研究发现:网络文学平台在劳动控制和制造同意过程中,首先会通过制定诸如账号注册、分类签约等复杂的规则对写手的劳动秩序进行控制,同时通过竞争激励、分发渠道“黑箱化”与“去技能化”等较为隐蔽且强效的柔性控制,以此手段方式赋予写手以“过剩”的主体性,使该群体呈现自雇状态,实现“自我剥削”,从而掩盖“他者剥削”的本质,并由此引发网络文学朝向“游戏化”生产发展,对文学产生不可忽视的影响。不过,网络写手并非全然丧失主体性,他们也会在一定的时空范围内采取写作“外包”、社群联结等形式,试图维持平台与写手之间的权力平衡。

Based on the theory of labor process,this paper explores the forms of labor control in the production of contemporary online literature through on-line observation and semi-structured in-depth interviews.The research shows that in the process of labor control and manufacturing,online literature platform controls the writers’labor order by making complicated rules,such as account registration and classified contract signing,meanwhile,the platforms take some hidden,effective and flexible control,such as competitive incentives,“black-boxing”of distribution channels and“de-skilling”,which endow the writers with“excessive”subjectivity,and make the group seemingly self-employed,thus covering the fact of“self-exploitation”.Therefore,online literature tends to develop towards“game-based”production andexerts a noticeable impact on literature.However,online writers do not completely lose their subjectivity,they will also take some measures,such as writing“outsourcing”and community connection,within a certain time and space,trying to maintain the balance of power between the platforms and the writers.