computer science

Reading the Comments

Reading the Comments is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Reading the Comments rather than just read about it. In short: Reading the Comments: Likers, Haters, and Manipulators at the Bottom of the Web is a 2015 non-fiction book by Northeastern University professor Joseph M. Reagle Jr.

Key takeaways

Reading the Comments belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Reading the Comments to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Reading the Comments from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Reading the Comments: Likers, Haters, and Manipulators at the Bottom of the Web is a 2015 non-fiction book by Northeastern University professor Joseph M. Reagle Jr. The book was first published on April 24, 2015 through MIT Press and deals with the subject of Internet comments in locations like YouTube, Amazon, and forums.

Synopsis

The book has eight chapters and gives an overview of comments on the Internet. Reagle covers the concept of Internet anonymity and references Plato's Ring of Gyges story, comparing the ring's power of invisibility to the ability to remain seemingly anonymous on the Internet. Topics covered in the book include the manipulation of online reviews in locations like Yelp, trolling, and online threats of rape and violence.

Reception Critical reception for Reading the Comments has been mixed. Much of the book's criticism centered on what the critics felt was a lack of depth and The New Yorker commented that this gave the book a "frustrating sense of missed opportunity, of mere comprehensiveness", particularly when covering the subjects of Donglegate and Anita Sarkeesian's Tropes vs. Women in Video Games. The Spectator gave an overall favorable opinion of Reading the Comments, praising Reagle for his observation skills.

References

External links Official website

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Reading the Comments

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Reading the Comments claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Reading the Comments before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Reading the Comments ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Reading the Comments

In research: Reading the Comments appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Reading the Comments in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Reading the Comments is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2015 non-fiction books, Books about the Internet, Computer book stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Reading the Comments outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Reading the Comments in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Reading the Comments means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Reading the Comments out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Reading the Comments in simple terms?

Reading the Comments: Likers, Haters, and Manipulators at the Bottom of the Web is a 2015 non-fiction book by Northeastern University professor Joseph M. Reagle Jr.

Why does Reading the Comments matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Reading the Comments?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Reading the Comments.