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cindypepper's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting look at how Internet culture and linguistics have evolved over time. This is the book I'd make my not-as-online friends read, because it distills several unspoken tenets and mores of Internet-speak, such as the passive aggression of a period in an instant message or the use of tildes to communicate either enthusiasm or sarcasm (depending on which culture we're talking about). It's an interesting dissection, but because all of it already feels familiar to me (I'm in the second wave of Internet people, don't @ me), reading about your own behavior in the lens of a nonfic book gets pretty dry. Still, it's neat to read through this and witness just how much Internet culture has shaped language and vice-versa, even in the past few years.
oriad313's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
Well researched, informative, at times poetic, and deeply funny, this book is a delightful exploration of the history of internet culture and its impact on linguistics.
bakerindale's review against another edition
5.0
Because Internet is a brilliant piece of linguistic popular science literature. Gretchen expertly navigates the modern trends in how we use language and helps to make sense of it all.
readingthroughinfinity's review against another edition
informative
I picked this up because I'm always searching for more books about linguistics, but I was surprised to find myself losing interest as it progressed. Thematically, the chapters rolled into each other, which probably didn't help (on audio, too), but I think the main issue was that most of the narrative is made up of individual statements of fact. These were, of course, interesting, but as a whole, they didn't quite join together to create a cohesive narrative/line of discussion. So, things felt a bit fragmented throughout, and I don't think there were enough extended anecdotes to contextualise the ideas, tie them into key internet moments, and keep things engaging.
captainpretiosus's review against another edition
3.0
This book felt like 800 pages. I couldn't wait for it to end.