the + noun OR noun + s

[rainous]

Values are created through the usage of a product (or products) on the part of the user (or users) rather than through the product (or products) itself.

This is one of many things in English grammar that has been bugging me for a long time which I still haven't gotten my arms around. I don't know whether I should used one or the other.

The sentence below is the one I have provisionally settled for. How does it look? Does it need correction?

Values are created through the usage of the product on the part of the user rather than through the product itself.
(By "the product", I meant products in general. Does it make sense?)

Thanks in advance.

[Raymott]

Values are created through the usage of a product (or products) on the part of the user (or users) rather than through the product (or products) itself.

This is one of many things in English grammar that has been bugging me for a long time which I still haven't gotten my arms around. (your head around).
I don't know whether I should used one or the other.

The sentence below is the one I have provisionally settled for. How does it look? Does it need correction?

Values are created through the usage of the product on the part of the user rather than through the product itself.
(By "the product", I meant products in general. Does it make sense?) Thanks in advance.

Yes it makes sense, and you can use "the product" and "the user" like this to mean products and users in general. This is common in English.