Reading the Comments
MIT Press, 2015
Endorsements
“Reagle demonstrates how complex online commentary actually is, from questions of identity raised by selfies and
sockpuppets to online debates both serious and silly.
Reading the Comments
makes it clear how vital the web’s
marginalia has become as a cultural outlet.”
Clay Shirky
, Associate Professor, New York University, and author of
Cognitive
Surplus
and
Here
Comes Everybody
“Reagle approaches ‘the bottom of the web’ with the insight—and humor—the topic deserves. By urging us to take
seriously an aspect of the digital ecosystem many of us try to ignore, Reagle skillfully navigates a landscape of
virulent abuse, shameless promotion, and legitimate insight hidden in the comments and reviews of the web. This is a
must-read for people trying to understand the challenges of encouraging productive participation online.”
Ethan Zuckerman
, Director, Center for Civic Media, MIT
“In
Reading the Comments
, Joseph Reagle exposes the powerful social, cultural, and political implications of
comments in the digital age. Entertaining and informative, critical and insightful, this book is an eye-opener for
anyone who has ever written a comment, clicked the like button, or asked ‘WTF?’ when reaching the ‘bottom of the
web.’
Limor Shifman
, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, author of
Memes in Digital Culture
Reviews
Jedrzejzyk, M. (2022). Review of
“Reading the comments:
Likers, haters, and manipulators at the Bottom of the Web.”
Explorations in Media Ecology
21
(1).
Lao, M. G. (2016). Review of
“Readings the comments: Likers,
haters, and manipulators at the bottom of the Web.”
International Journal of Communication
Aronczyk, M. (2016). Likers, haters, and manipulators at the
bottom of the web.
New Media & Society
18
(4), 677–679.
Erdélyi, L. (2016, April 1). La rebelión de las masas.
El
Pais
Swan, A. L. (2016). Review of Reading the Comments.
International
Journal of Communication
10
Weisberg, J. (2016, February 25). We are hopelessly hooked.
The New York Review of Books
Mihalo, W. E. (2015). Review of
“Reading the
Comments.”
Computing Reviews
CR143767 (1512-1019)
Thompson, S. A. (2015). Book review: Reading the comments:
Likers, haters, and manipulators at the bottom half of the Web.
Consumption Markets & Culture
, 1–3.
McMillan, L. (2015). Review.
Choice
53
(2).
Ulmi, N. (2015, November 6). The dark, decaying underbelly of online
commenting.
World Crunch
Comment survivre à l’ère du commentaire. (2015, October 21).
Le
Temps
Nagle, A. (2015, October 1). Take that: Review of Reading the
Comments.
Dublin Review of Books
Pasquale, F. (2015, September 28). How to tame an Internet troll.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Brabazon, T. (2015, August 27). Reading the comments: Likers,
haters, and manipulators at the bottom of the web, by Joseph M. Reagle Jr.
Times Higher Education
“Reading the Comments”
Summary
. (2015,
July 27).
getAbstracts
[Also appeared in Vietnam News (2015, July 31) and Business Traveler (2015, July 30)]
Kalpokas, I. (2015, July 24).
Book review: Reading the
comments: Likers, haters, and manipulators at the bottom of the web
. London School of Economics Review of Books.
Eyestone, D. (2015, July 21). If you can’t say anything nice,
save it for the internet.
PopMatters
van der Nagel, E. (2015, July 16). Fakers, makers and takers.
Inside Story
Uphoff, H. (2015). Review of
“Reading the Comments.”
Library Journal
Williams, Z. (2015, June 25).
“Reading the Comments”
review.
The Guardian
O’Connell, M. (2015, June 17). It’s comments all the way down.
New Yorker
Crowley, D. (2015). Books.
Frieze Magazine
172
Barekat, H. (2015, June 6). Encounters with the nastiest people on
the Internet.
The Spectator
Strom, D. (2015, March 27). Faking Internet comments and reviews.
Web Informant
Interviews and Articles
Reagle, J. (2015, September 22). Online comment: Likers, haters and
manipulators at the bottom of the web media.
Utne Reader Online
Salvo, P. D. (2015, July 9). Perché dobbiamo leggere i commenti.
Wired.it
Reagle, J., & Quaintance, M. (2015, May 24).
Whitney Phillips and Joseph M.Reagle
. Studio Visit.
Reagle, J. (2015, May 26). How do internet trolls justify their
nasty, misogynist, life-ruining behavior?
Alternet
Reagle, J. (2015, May 22). Oops:
“This is what life is like
in the world of social media.”
Pop Matters
Reagle, J., & Munson, J. (2015, May 26).
Reading the
comments
. Wisconsin Public Radio.
Reagle, J., & Guiney, N. (2015, May 24). Ideas: Is it
worth reading the comment section?
The Boston Globe
Mulligan, J., & Reagle, J. (2015, April 27).
Joseph
Reagle and his book looking at comment culture
. Radio New Zealand.
Reagle, J. (2015, April 30). The social graph won’t save us from
what’s wrong with online reviews.
The Conversation
Scott, D. (2015, March 5). Why I’ve posted 27,000 times to one
online forum.
Talking Points Memo
Carroll, M. S. (2015, January 9). Commenting on comments: Why are
comments on stories so awful & how can we improve them?
Medium
Lynch, T. W., & Reagle, J. (2014, March 10).
Taming
the trolls: An interview with Web culture guru Joseph Reagle
. Reviewed.com.