The Web We Weave: Why We Must Reclaim the Internet from Moguls, Misanthropes, and Moral Panic

by Jeff Jarvis

A bold defense of the internet, arguing attempts to fix and regulate it are often misguided —"essential reading for anyone who cares about the future of the internet" (Taylor Lorenz, author of Extremely Online)

The internet stands accused of dividing us, spying on us, making us stupid, and addicting our children. In response, the press and panicked politicians seek greater regulation and control, which could ruin the web before we are finished building it.
 
Jeff Jarvis is convinced we can have a saner conversation about the internet. Examining the web’s past, present, and future, he shows that many of the problems the media lays at the internet’s door are the result of our own failings. The internet did not make us hate; we brought our bias, bigotry, and prejudice with us online. That’s why even well-intentioned regulation will fail to fix hate speech and misinformation and may instead imperil the freedom of speech the internet affords to all. Once we understand the internet for what it is—a human network—we can reclaim it from the nerds, pundits, and pols who are in charge now and turn our attention where it to fostering community, conversation, and creativity online.  

The Web We Weave offers an antidote to today’s pessimism about the internet, outlining a bold vision for a world with a web that works for all of us. 

Genres: Nonfiction

235 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 8, 2024

About the author

Jeff Jarvis is an American journalist writing for publications such as New York Daily News, the San Francisco Examiner, and The Guardian. In 2006 he became an associate professor at City University of New York's Graduate School of Journalism, directing its new media program. He is a co-host on This Week in Google, a show on the TWiT Network.


Picture by Robert Scoble

Reviews

[Krystelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This was a really interesting examination of the internet and the way that we have adapted to our new normal. There is, of course, a lot to be said for all the development that the world wide web has given us, This is a book that focuses on the rhetoric that we hear so often, mired in moral panic about the internet. I do appreciate that there was so much thought that went into this book, and it was very clearly well researched.

With that said, I think it was perhaps a little too optimistic. The author takes a view that the ills of the internet have been somewhat overstated, and unfortunately I don't think I can agree. There's something to say for both sides of the argument I think, and a similar book (if not the same kind of book with a different slant) could be written.

I unfortunately cannot say that I took the same approach to the material that the author did, but I will say that it was well researched, well thought out, and a book that the author was clearly very passionate about.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main contribution of this book is to convincingly dispel some of the hysteria about how the web, in particular social media and AI, are poised to destroy civilization - while acknowledging their harms. The author's prescriptions for improving things are less convincing. I suppose if it were an easy problem to solve, it would have been solved by now.

[quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyed it - appreciated the optimism with all the doomerism going on!

[Cafonso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Needs reflection