I came across the following wikipedia page which I find interesting. It is on Prosumers. Which is a contraction of the words professional/producer and consumer. It pretty much distinguishes between the passive consumer and the active consumer.

General meanings

• The term was coined by futurologist Alvin Toffler in 1980 and that meaning is not commonly used today. Loosely, Toffler’s “proactive consumer” prosumers were common consumers who were predicted to each become active to help personally improve or design the goods and services of the marketplace, transforming it and their roles as consumers. Toffler is discussed in depth below.
• By far the most common usage of the term describes the consumers, enthusiasts who buy products (almost always technical) that fall between professional and consumer grade standards in quality, complexity, or functionality. Prosumer also commonly refers to those products. Semiprofessional. “Prosumer” is a well-accepted category for camcorders, digital cameras, VCRs, “and other video playthings.” These advanced product features and higher prosumer expectations lend themselves to increased customizing in Toffler’s product-improvement sense.
• The “producing consumer” prosumer creates goods for their own use and also possibly to sell. Uncommon usage.
• “Professional consumers” prosumers are excellent, better informed consumers who are buying top-grade or best-value products, or think they are. This group also includes a broader target for marketers and advertisers. According to Prosumer-Reports.com this attractive hip, young group “are influencing markets all over the globe. Empowered by new technologies and improved access to information, Prosumers are highly knowledgeable and demanding consumers.” Uncommon or sarcastic usage; “Americans are prosumers.” “I’m a professional “prosumer” and shopaholic.”

To read the entire article you can visit; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosumer

Mahrou Kharazi