How did we get from those earnest hopeful days broadcast across the media mainstream to where we are now? This book covers this period from the perspective of internet-culture and subcultures, tracing the online culture wars that have raged on below the line and below the radar of mainstream media throughout the period over feminism, sexuality, gender identity, racism, free speech, and political correctness. Basically, In this reading group, we were only required to finish the introduction and chapter 1, but, those also demonstrate the Online Culture Wars From 4Chan And Tumblr To Trump And The Alt-Right. there are many examples and cases, in which, the earnest, feel-good, easily shared concern had been replaced with the darkest side of the return of a more native, pre-monetized, anonymous internet culture - schadenfreude, deeming the deep cynicism and unstoppable force of public humiliation as the viral entertainment. In a political case, the book talked about the influence on politic that was introduced by the cyber-culture, “it was amid that ironic in-jokey maze of meaning that online culture wars played out, that Trump got elected and that what we now call the alt-right came to prominence, Every bizarre event, new identity and strange subculture behavior that baffles general audiences when they eventually make the mainstream media, from otherkin to far right Pepe memes, can be understood as a response to a response to a response, each one responding angrily to the existence of others.”

 

We talked a lot around the cyber-culture topic, including cyber violence and attack, the so-called literal internet-culture that on the one hand, has granted users the freedom to do speech and idea-giving by being anonymous, on the other hand, it also allows users to take zero responsibility for others who might have been affected or even traumatized by their inappropriate judgment and criticism.

 

Meanwhile, this book reminds me of that in the digital era when most people appeal to the freedoms in speaking out and expressing or even making a decision, it is obviously dangerous if there are no effective restrictions and over-liberal for the internet culture. once you hand over all the voice to the public, the society will be on the edge of collapse. The 4chan event is just an alert for all of us. In addition, online activities can achieve more than people have ever expected, Just like the mass protest in France that recently has been organized by a so-called “Yellow vest” group in the mainstream network, described by the report as an spontaneous, organized but no leading activity, which brings about countless damages and losses to the country.

 

After reviewing this book, I found it relevant to another book named “Post-truth rhetoric and composition” (Bruce McComiskey,2017)I recently read, from the trump’s case ,we can notice the attention-craving personality in every aspect of our society, from the social media, news to the presidential election, which is packed of lies, fallacies, rhetoric, and fake news. Now the information disseminators have got no limit to freely indicate as much horrible and astonishing moment as possible, but at the same time, the audiences are getting tired of those overstated expression. Sadly, one of our members talked about a true instance that in her hometown Pakistan, due to the cancel of the broadcasts limit for the internet and television, what the most Pakistan are experiencing is to watch TV showing many people killed by the exploration and terrorist attack with no empathy while eating.