The Filter Bubble - Eli Pariser [96]
Ann Godoff and Laura Stickney, my editors at Penguin Press, are the other two members of the triumvirate that brought this book into existence. Ann’s wisdom helped to shape what this book is about and for whom I’ve written it; Laura’s acute eye and gentle questions and provocations helped me see the gaps, leaps, and snags in the text. I’m indebted to both.
There’s another trio that deserves a great deal of credit, not just for getting this book across the finish line in (more or less) one piece, but for inspiring some of the best insights in it. Research assistants Caitlin Petre, Sam Novey, and Julia Kamin scoured the Internet and dug through dusty library books to help me figure out what exactly was going on. Sam, my resident contrarian, constantly pushed me to think more deeply about what I was saying. Julia brought a keen scientific skepticism to the task and protected me from dubious scholarship that I might otherwise have embraced. And Caitlin’s great intelligence, hard work, and thoughtful critique were the sources of some of my favorite aha moments. Guys, I couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you.
One of the best parts of the writing process was the opportunity to call up or sit down with extraordinary people and ask them questions. I’m thankful to the following folks for responding to my inquiries and helping inform the text: C. W. Anderson, Ken Auletta, John Battelle, Bill Bishop, Matt Cohler, Gabriella Coleman, Dalton Conley, Chris Coyne, Pam Dixon, Caterina Fake, Matthew Hindman, Bill Joy, Dave Karpf, Jaron Lanier, Steven Levy, Diana Mutz, Nicholas Negroponte, Markus Prior, Robert Putnam, John Rendon, Jay Rosen, Marc Rotenberg, Douglas Rushkoff, Michael Schudson, Daniel Solove, Danny Sullivan, Philip Tetlock, Clive Thompson, and Jonathan Zittrain. Conversations with Ethan Zuckerman, Scott Heiferman, David Kirkpatrick, Clay Shirky, Nicco Mele, Dean Eckles, Jessi Hempel, and Ryan Calo were especially provocative and helpful. Thanks to Nate Tyler and Jonathan McPhie at Google for considering and responding to my inquiries. And strange though it may seem, given my topic, thanks also to my Facebook friends, some real, some virtual, who quickly responded to my queries and were helpful when I was looking for an anecdote or colorful example.
During the writing process, I’ve received invaluable help from a number of institutions and communities. I don’t know where I’d be without the summer months I spent researching and writing at the Blue Mountain Center: many thanks to Ben, Harriet, and my fellow fellows for the space to think, advice (especially from Carey McKenzie), and late-night swims. The Roosevelt Institute was gracious enough to offer a place to hang my hat for the last year: thanks to Andy Rich and Bo Cutter for the intellectual stimulation and great conversations. Micah Sifry and Andrew Raseij, two great friends of online democracy, gave me the space to first make this argument at the Personal Democracy Forum. David Fenton has been there to help with every step of this process, from lending his home for writing and thinking to consulting on the title to helping the book find an audience. David, you’re a good friend. And Fenton Communications—especially my kind, thoughtful friend Lisa Witter—generously supported the early investigations that set me on the personalization trail.
There’s little I can say to sufficiently thank Team MoveOn, past and present, from whom I’ve learned so very much about politics, technology, and people. Carrie, Zack, Joan, Patrick, Tom, Nita, Jenn, Ben, Matt, Natalie, Noah, Adam, Roz, Justin, Ilyse, and the whole crew: You’re some of the most fiercely thoughtful and inspiring people I’ve ever met, and I feel lucky to have worked alongside you.
The manuscript was ready to read only weeks before it