Scan barcode
maxdug's review against another edition
4.0
It is a history of the internet, viewed through the lens of how we as users have been treated and have evolved to match. After the book gets up to the modern internet, it reads like a collection of well researched analysis on each major internet company - there is quite a bit about facebook, google, and wikipedia. But it helped put into perspective my own interaction with the internet and showed my privilege in how I use it minimally. The book doesn’t offer a discrete solution for the current woes of our lives online, but rather calls out the good areas where we can lean in and the bad areas where we can start to take ourselves offline or embrace alternatives. I love that the book doesn’t prescribe a magic bullet, but shows a path where people can have options and find communities to feel protected within.
thematinee's review against another edition
3.0
I need to stop picking tech retrospectives for eras I've lived through.
benrogerswpg's review
1.0
Quite a whiny book.
Terrible narrative.
Not for me.
Still a few good quips about the internet though.
1.7/5
Terrible narrative.
Not for me.
Still a few good quips about the internet though.
1.7/5
nickjagged's review against another edition
2.0
On the better side of tech histories, with a decent critical lens throughout. Not especially engaging though, which is a shame since McNeil has one of the more complete understandings of the origins and ripples of internet culture that I've come across.
caitlyn888's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars, rounded up.
This is a comprehensive history of the social internet from the early 90s to present day. Joanne McNeil covers all the big name platforms and their ethical issues, including MySpace, Reddit, and of course, Facebook.
Two gripes about this book: There was too much of the author's personal opinion interspersed throughout the research (which makes it difficult for me to find their work credible), and she used a lot of internet jargon that lay readers may view as a roadblock on their reading journey.
However, she won me over in the conclusion with her high praise for libraries. Yes, pander to me - good...GOOD.
This is a comprehensive history of the social internet from the early 90s to present day. Joanne McNeil covers all the big name platforms and their ethical issues, including MySpace, Reddit, and of course, Facebook.
Two gripes about this book: There was too much of the author's personal opinion interspersed throughout the research (which makes it difficult for me to find their work credible), and she used a lot of internet jargon that lay readers may view as a roadblock on their reading journey.
However, she won me over in the conclusion with her high praise for libraries. Yes, pander to me - good...GOOD.
mwelbel's review against another edition
5.0
dorothy_gale's review against another edition
4.0
3.75★ GOOD CONTENT, BUT HARD-TO-FOLLOW FORMAT. This 2020 book covered some intriguing evolution of the internet -- searches, social media, advertising, reverse-engineering algorithms, how definitions have changed (including "friends"), and more. However, the format felt like each chapter was a long essay with no real organization, which for me made it difficult to recall the main points. It almost felt like I got to lurk the Lurk book -- observe industry tidbits, hindsight, and marketing strategies, decades later. It was nostalgic. The author seemed to come from my generation and shared similar views toward Google and Facebook. It included systemic race and gender issues, which was good. The ending didn't exactly elicit hope, but modern tech is a monstrosity that may not lend itself to hopeful discussions at this juncture.
kinopuff's review
3.5
I wish she covered constantly having to verify yourself with two factor and dark patterns. Otherwise hearing about the old internet is a nice trip down memory lane. It was surprising to hear that someone else was on Melodramatic.