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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
Rounded down from 3.5 stars. Very conversational and easy to read. Many moments of "Aha!" and "Oh, how interesting." My enjoyment was hampered when the author would veer off into techno-speak but overall a good read.
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
I always love learning about things I participate in, like internet writing, so once I heard about this book on the Lingthusiasm podcast I knew I had to read it. And it is written so enterainingly, I found myself laughing while learning about linguistic research. I came for the linguistics, and stayed for the puns.
The book has so much enthusiasm and love and passion for language and linguistics, especially the final chapter, and it's infectious. And while that last chapter is meant broader about language being flexible, as someone who's gender queer it is very healing and hopeful and validating to hear that language has space and will make space for everyone.
The book has so much enthusiasm and love and passion for language and linguistics, especially the final chapter, and it's infectious. And while that last chapter is meant broader about language being flexible, as someone who's gender queer it is very healing and hopeful and validating to hear that language has space and will make space for everyone.
McCullough’s “Because Internet” is what Lonely Planet is for the discerning traveler: a journey through internet language and culture. Highly enjoyable AND informative.
funny
informative
relaxing
medium-paced
Probably the most fascinating read for me so far in 2021! Beyond considering the intricacies of how language online and offline evolves, I never knew so much about the history of internet communities. This book is an excellent entryway into sociolinguistics.
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Really engaging and fun -- reminded me of why I love linguistics in the first place.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
There are people who love reading about themselves. In a very Because Internet sort of way, I've understood this for a long time, particularly in the age of Buzzfeed. While it did deep investigative reporting and published decent features, BuzzFeed found legs mostly through pointless quizzes designed to coax readers into a trap of commonality. Buzzfeed preyed on this better than anyone save for social media sites: people can't get enough content that they believe speaks to them on a personal level.
I am no such person and that is why Buzzfeed never worked for me, and why this book did not resonate with me as much as it may resonate with others. To be sure, Because Internet is well-written and informative; I highlighted more passages in this book than any other so far in 2025. That's because McCulloch, at times, delivers thoughts and ideas that made me think about obvious things in very different ways. For example, McCulloch stresses in her chapter on internet people that it's not at all strange how younger people are less internet-savvy than early internet adopters. It's because early users had to know how to code to use the internet, and new users don't. It smashes this myth that younger people know what they're doing on the computer because they were born into the internet age. Again, obvious when you think about it, but something I hadn't really considered on a granular level.
However, despite those revelatory musings and a few interesting facts, a lot of this book read like an essay on how the internet works, and why it works for people my age. Which is helpful, sure - everyone needs to know things like this - but it felt like hand-holding, almost as if McCulloch wanted to appeal equally to internet know-it-alls and internet know-nothings. So the book oscillates between describing the internet and language in very basic, ground-level ways, and describing the internet in terms that will make millennials like myself point and say, "hey, she's talking about me!" This latter decision in particular did not appeal to me and left me feeling like an eat, pray, love millennial.
Overall, I learned some, got bored, scoffed, and generally had a 3-star time. I don't rate books but this seems right in the middle. It was certainly different from what I normally read. And I hope to read more stuff like this. It's important!
I am no such person and that is why Buzzfeed never worked for me, and why this book did not resonate with me as much as it may resonate with others. To be sure, Because Internet is well-written and informative; I highlighted more passages in this book than any other so far in 2025. That's because McCulloch, at times, delivers thoughts and ideas that made me think about obvious things in very different ways. For example, McCulloch stresses in her chapter on internet people that it's not at all strange how younger people are less internet-savvy than early internet adopters. It's because early users had to know how to code to use the internet, and new users don't. It smashes this myth that younger people know what they're doing on the computer because they were born into the internet age. Again, obvious when you think about it, but something I hadn't really considered on a granular level.
However, despite those revelatory musings and a few interesting facts, a lot of this book read like an essay on how the internet works, and why it works for people my age. Which is helpful, sure - everyone needs to know things like this - but it felt like hand-holding, almost as if McCulloch wanted to appeal equally to internet know-it-alls and internet know-nothings. So the book oscillates between describing the internet and language in very basic, ground-level ways, and describing the internet in terms that will make millennials like myself point and say, "hey, she's talking about me!" This latter decision in particular did not appeal to me and left me feeling like an eat, pray, love millennial.
Overall, I learned some, got bored, scoffed, and generally had a 3-star time. I don't rate books but this seems right in the middle. It was certainly different from what I normally read. And I hope to read more stuff like this. It's important!
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced