The Internet of Garbage

The Internet of Garbage examines how online harassment threatens the fundamental utility of the internet. The 2015 book by Sarah Jeong, later reissued in 2018, approaches digital harassment as a technical and social problem that requires new solutions. The book draws parallels between spam - a previously dominant form of internet "garbage" - and current patterns of online harassment. It analyzes how platforms, users, and legal frameworks have attempted to combat these challenges, while highlighting the specific impacts on women and minorities. Through analysis of major harassment campaigns and their consequences, the text explores how digital abuse creates real-world dangers through practices like doxxing. The book presents technical, legal, and social strategies for addressing these issues. The work stands as a critical examination of how harassment restricts internet freedom and accessibility. Its central argument positions online abuse not just as a social problem, but as a fundamental threat to the internet's core functions.

Readers value the book's clear explanations of online harassment, content moderation, and platform governance challenges. Many highlight its relevance despite being written in 2015, with updated examples in the 2018 version. Positive comments focus on: - Concise breakdown of complex technical and legal concepts - Practical solutions rather than just describing problems - Balance between technical detail and accessibility Main criticisms: - Some sections feel dated, particularly regarding platform policies - Too brief at 120 pages to fully explore some topics - Limited discussion of international/non-US perspectives Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (500+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (50+ ratings) Notable reader comments: "Explains content moderation trade-offs better than any other source" - Goodreads reviewer "Should be required reading for anyone working in tech" - Amazon review "Good primer but lacks depth on newer challenges like algorithmic amplification" - Goodreads reviewer

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🔹 The book was initially released as a $2.99 ebook in 2015, making it deliberately accessible to reach a wide audience and encourage broad discussion of online harassment. 🔹 Author Sarah Jeong has been a senior writer at The Verge and served on the editorial board of The New York Times, bringing deep expertise in technology journalism to her analysis. 🔹 The spam epidemic of the 1990s, which the book uses as a parallel to current harassment issues, once threatened to make email virtually unusable, with some estimates suggesting 90% of all email traffic was spam. 🔹 The 2018 updated version specifically addresses how social media platforms' content moderation evolved following events like Gamergate and the 2016 U.S. presidential election. 🔹 The term "garbage" in the title was inspired by internet pioneer Vint Cerf's description of spam as "garbage that people send over the internet."