’In this book, Alexia Maddox presents a compelling and engaging account of how online communities operate. Not only does she include a thorough overview of previous research, the book also discusses new findings from her own study that extends her insights in exciting ways. It will be of interest both to scholars new to this field and those looking for the latest developments in networked sociability studies.’ Deborah Lupton, University of Canberra, Australia ’This is what a community study looks like in the information age. It is a really rich attempt to ground contemporary debates in research methods appropriate for the digital era in an engaging substantive study of a global community of - what one comes to know as - herpers. Although the specifics of the study are of interest, the real strength of the text is the manner in which lessons about researching global online communities in general are drawn.’ Roger Burrows, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK