Analyzing Jeff Atwood’s “Because Reading is Fundamental”
Writer Jeff Atwood discusses the importance of reading, which he defines as a form of listening when online. A writer with a coding background, Atwood starts off by saying that the post count number, programmed to increase the more you post, can be misleading. He uses the quantity over quality concept to argue that a higher post count does not necessarily mean a more valuable discussion. Atwood states that a discussion, as opposed to a chat room, consists of people who have spent more time reading, and less time posting. The post number is simply a record of your failure to communicate. Atwood’s audience is likely 18-50 years old, or anyone whose job or interests are focused on the internet. Someone who reads this article must be aware of basic internet functions as he refers to concepts like “chat room” vs. “discussion.” He supports his argument with two forms of research. The Ars Banana Experiment embedded a sentence in the article instructing commenters to display the wor...