The IHT has an interesting article about the pro-am debate. It starts from the rise of the amateur digital content producer and the corollary problem that this situation fosters: regulation are quite difficult to create. Some excerpts:

Established media companies that have already seen their business models emasculated by illegal file sharing are nervously watching the rise of the amateur content producers and distributors. These amateurs are changing the media landscape again and in some cases becoming the new entrepreneurs with the hot product that may make what is new today obsolete tomorrow. (...) How do you define an amateur? If somebody distributes content over the Internet, does that person have to follow regular broadcast laws, or should there be special regulations for the Web? Should the government step in to shut down blogs that incite illegal behavior? What about blogs that provide a forum for people to sympathize with outlawed groups?

Why do I blog this? this concept of amateur content creation is larger than just cultural product; I think it's interesting because it reshape the boundaries of organizations and work. I connect this amateur concept to the idea of independent workers: people in no organizations (or creating their new one far from the big structures) to do what they want to carry out: creating content, doing research, performing arty activities...