Thom reviewed Gentrification of the Internet by Jessa Lingel
Review of 'Gentrification of the Internet' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Gentrification is a murky term, perhaps best described as an influx of wealth and a focus on profits over community. Lingel's accessible book demonstrates the same steamroller effect on digital communities.
The online community was originally very niche - a collection of like-minded folks with a technical knack. This continued as modems and personal computers expanded the possibilities for more of the population. As the author points out, when profit became more of a focus, these communities collapsed - or were pushed out. Without net neutrality, even the ISPs are capable of throttling bandwidth to some sites in favor of others - based on money and not need.
The comparison to urban gentrification also comes with a series of strategies for pushing back. Strengthening (or legislating) community, insisting on fair infrastructure and just compensation, and above all awareness are excellent tools. In addition to full notes on resources, this brief …
Gentrification is a murky term, perhaps best described as an influx of wealth and a focus on profits over community. Lingel's accessible book demonstrates the same steamroller effect on digital communities.
The online community was originally very niche - a collection of like-minded folks with a technical knack. This continued as modems and personal computers expanded the possibilities for more of the population. As the author points out, when profit became more of a focus, these communities collapsed - or were pushed out. Without net neutrality, even the ISPs are capable of throttling bandwidth to some sites in favor of others - based on money and not need.
The comparison to urban gentrification also comes with a series of strategies for pushing back. Strengthening (or legislating) community, insisting on fair infrastructure and just compensation, and above all awareness are excellent tools. In addition to full notes on resources, this brief book also contains a glossary and sources for further reading.
This is not an easy topic to cover, from the difficulty in explaining gentrification to the active resistance by those profiting from it. The addition of charts with historical outcomes would have helped, along with graphics for some of the analogies. The author clearly knows her stuff, I just feel it could be more accessible to the general public - the very audience for much-needed awareness.