--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Internet was done so well that most…" description: "\"The Internet was done so well that most people think of it as a natural resource like the Pacific Ocean, rather than something that was man-made. When ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/alan-kay-7358_comparison_the-internet-was-done-so-well-that-most_1480955.jpg" --- # The Internet was done so well that most people think of it… ![“The Internet was done so well that most people think of it as a natural resource like the Pacific Ocean, rather than something that was man-made. When was the last time a technology with a scale like that was so error-free? The Web, in comparison, is a joke. The Web was done by amateurs.” quote by Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/alan-kay-7358_comparison_the-internet-was-done-so-well-that-most_1480955.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/alan-kay-7358_comparison_the-internet-was-done-so-well-that-most_1480955.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/alan-kay-7358_comparison_the-internet-was-done-so-well-that-most_1480955.jpg) > “The Internet was done so well that most people think of it as a natural resource like the Pacific Ocean, rather than something that was man-made. When was the last time a technology with a scale like that was so error-free? The Web, in comparison, is a joke. The Web was done by amateurs.” [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Internet is perceived as a natural, flawless resource, unlike the error‑prone Web built by amateurs. **In simple terms:** People see the Internet as natural and flawless. Key Takeaway Recognize the human effort behind technology. Themes technology perception infrastructure Mood critical reflective Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - policy making - education - tech development - public discourse Key Concepts natural resource metaphor error tolerance Questions to Reflect On - How do we maintain humility about our creations? - What responsibilities arise from treating tech as natural? A Different Perspective The Internet still has hidden biases and failures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comparison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comparison/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Natural resources](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-resources/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ocean/) [Pacific](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pacific/) [Pacific ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pacific-ocean/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Today, I will offer free web hosting and developpement helps for projects under Sourceforge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/today-i-will-offer-free-web-hosting-and-developpement-helps-for/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [People are reading news for free on the web, that's got to change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/people-are-reading-news-for-free-on-the-web-that-s-got-to-change/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [Certainly anything that is news or opinion needs to be free on the Web, because the Web is this very fluid medium that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-wilson/certainly-anything-that-is-news-or-opinion-needs-to-be-free-on-the/) [Fred Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-wilson/) > […And to ur wife 15.6mg of free web space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-to-ur-wife-15-6mg-of-free-web-space/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [On the internet people date backwards. They break-up before they ever even meet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-riley/on-the-internet-people-date-backwards-they-break-up-before-they-ever/) [S Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-riley/) > [Back before the internet we had a name for people who bought a single copy of our books and lent them to all their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/back-before-the-internet-we-had-a-name-for-people-who-bought-a-single/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [If someone writes something shitty and you actually address them, most of the time they're just like, "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm a big fan."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aziz-ansari/if-someone-writes-something-shitty-and-you-actually-address-them-most/) [Aziz Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aziz-ansari/) > [Before the Internet, all most people cared about was Office. And Office was really the only reason anyone wanted Windows machines instead of Macs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arrington/before-the-internet-all-most-people-cared-about-was-office-and-office/) [Michael Arrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-arrington/) > [One of the great things about the Internet is that people are excited about music and wanna hear a random album from a band…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-droste/one-of-the-great-things-about-the-internet-is-that-people-are-excited/) [Ed Droste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-droste/) > [For years, particularly with the advent of the Internet, people have been griping about lessening attention spans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/for-years-particularly-with-the-advent-of-the-internet-people-have/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [I feel like there's a tremendous amount of pressure that society and the Internet put on people to look or be perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-poarch/i-feel-like-there-s-a-tremendous-amount-of-pressure-that-society-and/) [Bella Poarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-poarch/) > [To me, the last mile of the Internet that very few people have successfully really done. And this is like micro local. Things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/to-me-the-last-mile-of-the-internet-that-very-few-people-have/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [Thanks to the Internet, people we might have only suspected of being idiots can now give us ample evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-borowitz/thanks-to-the-internet-people-we-might-have-only-suspected-of-being/) [Andy Borowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-borowitz/) > [I wish we had a more open discourse. It's just a shame that with our 24-hour news media and the Internet, people have become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-james/i-wish-we-had-a-more-open-discourse-it-s-just-a-shame-that-with-our/) [Jim James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-james/) > [We have Internet now and people are not stupid. But it seems that some people are trying to push the same agenda of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bassem-youssef/we-have-internet-now-and-people-are-not-stupid-but-it-seems-that-some/) [Bassem Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bassem-youssef/) ## More by Alan Kay > [In our society we have hard nerds and soft nerds. The hard nerds are the ones who used to have the slide rules at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/in-our-society-we-have-hard-nerds-and-soft-nerds-the-hard-nerds-are/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [As far as Apple goes, it was a different company every few years from the time I joined in 1984.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/as-far-as-apple-goes-it-was-a-different-company-every-few-years-from/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [When I first prepared this particular talk... I realized that my usual approach is usually critical. That is, a lot of the things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/when-i-first-prepared-this-particular-talk-i-realized-that-my-usual/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [Quite a few people have to believe something is normal before it becomes normal - a sort of 'voting' situation. But once the threshold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/quite-a-few-people-have-to-believe-something-is-normal-before-it/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [Every technology really needs to be shipped with a special manual - not how to use it but why, when and for what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/every-technology-really-needs-to-be-shipped-with-a-special-manual-not/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [Java and C++ make you think that the new ideas are like the old ones. Java is the most distressing thing to hit computing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/java-and-c-make-you-think-that-the-new-ideas-are-like-the-old-ones/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [It's hard to change information in books, but if we have everything online, then a somewhat untrustworthy group of people controlling the thing -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/it-s-hard-to-change-information-in-books-but-if-we-have-everything/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [Computer programmers do it byte by byte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/computer-programmers-do-it-byte-by-byte/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [Lisp isn't a language, it's a building material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/lisp-isn-t-a-language-it-s-a-building-material/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [The tree of research must be fed from time to time with the blood of bean-counters, for it is its natural manure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/the-tree-of-research-must-be-fed-from-time-to-time-with-the-blood-of/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/people-who-are-really-serious-about-software-should-make-their-own/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [I think the trick with knowledge is to “acquire it, and forget all except the perfume” - because it is noisy and sometimes drowns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/i-think-the-trick-with-knowledge-is-to-acquire-it-and-forget-all/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [Possibly the only real object-oriented system in working order. (About Internet)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/possibly-the-only-real-object-oriented-system-in-working-order-about/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [“A change in perspective is worth 80 IQ points.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/a-change-in-perspective-is-worth-80-iq-points/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [Humans are communications junkies. We just can't get enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/humans-are-communications-junkies-we-just-can-t-get-enough/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) [Explore all 91 Alan Kay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) ## More Comparison quotes > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [It is exactly in the repetition of the exercises that the education of the senses exists; not that the child shall know colors, forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/it-is-exactly-in-the-repetition-of-the-exercises-that-the-education/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Geometry, which should only obey Physics, when united with it sometimes commands it. If it happens that the question which we wish to examine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/geometry-which-should-only-obey-physics-when-united-with-it-sometimes/) [Jean le Rond d'Alembert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/) > [I like to say that women are those who form life in their wombs - and this is a comparison I make - they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-like-to-say-that-women-are-those-who-form-life-in-their-wombs-and/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [You are Insignificant. One of millions, neither special nor unique. I did not ask for this ignominy, and I resent the comparison. Fine. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/you-are-insignificant-one-of-millions-neither-special-nor-unique-i/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [President Obama's achievements and failures must be evaluated by comparison to those chief executives who have come before him and not be measured against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-garrow/president-obama-s-achievements-and-failures-must-be-evaluated-by/) [David Garrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-garrow/) > [Composing a piece of music is very feminine. It is sensitive, emotional, contemplative. By comparison, doing housework is positively masculine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kolb/composing-a-piece-of-music-is-very-feminine-it-is-sensitive-emotional/) Barbara Kolb > [I think the first person to call me 'Britain's Obama' was Martin Bright at the New Statesman. Harriet Harman made the comparison once at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuka-umunna/i-think-the-first-person-to-call-me-britain-s-obama-was-martin-bright/) [Chuka Umunna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuka-umunna/) > [The insolence of base minds in success is boundless; and would scarce admit of a comparison, did not they themselves furnish us with one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-sterne/the-insolence-of-base-minds-in-success-is-boundless-and-would-scarce/) [Laurence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-sterne/) > [The wise man does not permit himself to set up even in his own mind any comparisons of his friends. His friendship is capable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dudley-warner/the-wise-man-does-not-permit-himself-to-set-up-even-in-his-own-mind/) [Charles Dudley Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dudley-warner/) > [It’s always going to be easy to live like others or other’s life, because creating or innovating something of own is always difficult in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anuj/it-s-always-going-to-be-easy-to-live-like-others-or-other-s-life/) [Anuj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anuj/) > [The streets, at least in this part of town, seemed impossibly clean in comparison to London. The public telephones were unvandalised. For a London…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/the-streets-at-least-in-this-part-of-town-seemed-impossibly-clean-in/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [It is only through contact and comparison that the relative value or worthlessness of the various cultural elements can be clearly and critically seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hu-shih/it-is-only-through-contact-and-comparison-that-the-relative-value-or/) [Hu Shih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hu-shih/) > [I feel I'm in 2006 form to be honest. I hear a lot of comparisons to 2004, but I never changed. Last year was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alecko-eskandarian/i-feel-i-m-in-2006-form-to-be-honest-i-hear-a-lot-of-comparisons-to/) Alecko Eskandarian > [Perhaps the comparison is closer to the Chinese cook who leaves hardly any part of a duck unserved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/perhaps-the-comparison-is-closer-to-the-chinese-cook-who-leaves/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) [Browse all 1,152 Comparison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comparison/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Internet was done so well that most people think of it as a natural resource like the Pacific Ocean, rather than something that was man-made. When was the last time a technology with a scale like that was so error-free? The Web, in comparison, is a joke. 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