--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If people wrote their reviews on paper…" description: "\"“If people wrote their reviews on paper and put them into a real, physical library, I am sure that the Goodreads administrators would be very reluctant..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23f/g-r-reader-31875_book-burning_if-people-wrote-their-reviews-on-paper-a_290061.jpg" --- # If people wrote their reviews on paper and put them into a… ![“If people wrote their reviews on paper and put them into a real, physical library, I am sure that the Goodreads administrators would be very reluctant to pull them down from shelves and burn them. When you can get rid of a piece of writing just by clicking on a few links, there’s a temptation to…” quote by G.R. Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23f/g-r-reader-31875_book-burning_if-people-wrote-their-reviews-on-paper-a_290061.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23f/g-r-reader-31875_book-burning_if-people-wrote-their-reviews-on-paper-a_290061.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23f/g-r-reader-31875_book-burning_if-people-wrote-their-reviews-on-paper-a_290061.jpg) > ““If people wrote their reviews on paper and put them into a real, physical library, I am sure that the Goodreads administrators would be very reluctant to pull them down from shelves and burn them. When you can get rid of a piece of writing just by clicking on a few links, there’s a temptation to believe that it’s less serious. But it isn’t. It’s just less clear what you’ve done.”” [G.R. Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-r-reader/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Digital content can be deleted with a few clicks, but that does not make it any less important; the ease of removal can undermine perceived seriousness. **In simple terms:** Online writing feels less serious because it can be easily erased. Key Takeaway Treat digital work with the same care as physical copies. Themes digital permanence media ethics information integrity Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - blogging - academic publishing - social media posts - personal journals Key Concepts censorship archival value attention economy Questions to Reflect On - How does the ability to delete affect your willingness to write honestly? - What safeguards can preserve digital content’s seriousness? A Different Perspective Ease of deletion may lead to careless creation or loss of valuable discourse. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book burning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-burning/) [Censorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/censorship/) [Goodreads Administrators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodreads-administrators-2793718/) [Internet freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet-freedom/) [Reviews Paper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reviews-paper-2793717/) [Shelves Burn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shelves-burn-2793721/) [Sure Goodreads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sure-goodreads-2793719/) [Wrote Reviews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrote-reviews-2793720/) ## Related quotes > [Internet freedom is a bit of a Rorschach test: it means different things to different people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/internet-freedom-is-a-bit-of-a-rorschach-test-it-means-different/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [Hillary Clinton hates Julian Assange, she is just an adversary of internet freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-dotcom/hillary-clinton-hates-julian-assange-she-is-just-an-adversary-of/) [Kim Dotcom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-dotcom/) > [I can't in good conscience allow the U.S. government to destroy privacy, internet freedom and basic liberties for people around the world with this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/i-can-t-in-good-conscience-allow-the-u-s-government-to-destroy/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [The Internet freedom issue we need to focus on is network neutrality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-ammori/the-internet-freedom-issue-we-need-to-focus-on-is-network-neutrality/) [Marvin Ammori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-ammori/) > [Despite the Obama administration's proclaimed commitment to global Internet freedom, the executive branch is not transparent about the types and capabilities of surveillance technologies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/despite-the-obama-administration-s-proclaimed-commitment-to-global/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [Google is a private company. It has the capacity to utilize its massive power for whatever political agenda it chooses. But for it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/google-is-a-private-company-it-has-the-capacity-to-utilize-its/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [Both the American people and nations that censor the internet should understand that our government is committed to helping promote internet freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/both-the-american-people-and-nations-that-censor-the-internet-should/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Only about 10 percent of India's population uses the web, making it unlikely that Internet freedom will be a decisive ballot-box issue anytime soon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/only-about-10-percent-of-india-s-population-uses-the-web-making-it/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [Internet freedom is not possible without freedom from fear, and users will not be free from fear unless they are sufficiently protected from online…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/internet-freedom-is-not-possible-without-freedom-from-fear-and-users/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [In the Restoring Internet Freedom Order, the FCC strengthened its transparency rule so that Internet service providers must make public more information about their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajit-pai/in-the-restoring-internet-freedom-order-the-fcc-strengthened-its/) [Ajit Pai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajit-pai/) > [Net Neutrality is Internet freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-haaland/net-neutrality-is-internet-freedom/) [Deb Haaland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-haaland/) > [After Secretary Clinton announced in January 2010 that Internet freedom would be a major pillar of U.S. foreign policy, the State Department decided to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/after-secretary-clinton-announced-in-january-2010-that-internet/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [The director of the FBI has been visiting Silicon Valley companies asking them to build back doors so that it can spy on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeny-morozov/the-director-of-the-fbi-has-been-visiting-silicon-valley-companies/) [Evgeny Morozov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeny-morozov/) > [Press and Internet freedom correlate against economic and social success, GDP, innovation, number of patents filed, and educational attainment. The more freedom there is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ory-okolloh/press-and-internet-freedom-correlate-against-economic-and-social/) [Ory Okolloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ory-okolloh/) > [ \[On Chinese Internet,\] freedom is a targeted and precise window. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-anti/on-chinese-internet-freedom-is-a-targeted-and-precise-window/) [Michael Anti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-anti/) ## More by G.R. Reader > [“I am not Amish enough to emigrate when my way of life is threatened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-r-reader/i-am-not-amish-enough-to-emigrate-when-my-way-of-life-is-threatened/) [G.R. Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-r-reader/) > [“. . . I can see how the issue of exercising corporate control over users content is truly enraging here, on a site significantly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-r-reader/i-can-see-how-the-issue-of-exercising-corporate-control-over-users/) [G.R. Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-r-reader/) > [“There was something so unutterably ridiculous about the sight of a US company deleting posts accusing it of censorship that many other people began…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-r-reader/there-was-something-so-unutterably-ridiculous-about-the-sight-of-a-us/) [G.R. Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-r-reader/) > [“You won’t believe this. 99% of reviews on GoodBetterBestReads are written by less than one percent of the members. Did you hear that? 99%!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-r-reader/you-won-t-believe-this-99-of-reviews-on-goodbetterbestreads-are/) [G.R. Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-r-reader/) > [“And that's the most horrible thing about censorship: To avoid falling afoul of the censors, we question ourselves and censor ourselves and make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-r-reader/and-that-s-the-most-horrible-thing-about-censorship-to-avoid-falling/) [G.R. Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-r-reader/) > [“This book is irrelevant to Goodreads because you can’t buy it on Amazon. Also it talks about oppression, censorship etc. and no one really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-r-reader/this-book-is-irrelevant-to-goodreads-because-you-can-t-buy-it-on/) [G.R. Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-r-reader/) > [“The Internet is transient. Information can be removed with a couple of mouse-clicks; it is an Orwellian dream. We have been advised, by people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-r-reader/the-internet-is-transient-information-can-be-removed-with-a-couple-of/) [G.R. Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-r-reader/) > [“By deciding what is, and is not, allowed to be discussed in a review, by removing discussion of social context, and saying that only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-r-reader/by-deciding-what-is-and-is-not-allowed-to-be-discussed-in-a-review-by/) [G.R. Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-r-reader/) > [“At your next book club meeting, picture me sitting quietly in the corner, taking notes on your preferences. Imagine the next day you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-r-reader/at-your-next-book-club-meeting-picture-me-sitting-quietly-in-the/) [G.R. Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-r-reader/) > [“And then they started deleting the protest reviews. That was my line. When they started to stamp out dissent, actually to make it disappear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-r-reader/and-then-they-started-deleting-the-protest-reviews-that-was-my-line/) [G.R. Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-r-reader/) > [“No, I have never had a problem finding books to read. But I have had a problem finding people who understand what it's like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-r-reader/no-i-have-never-had-a-problem-finding-books-to-read-but-i-have-had-a/) [G.R. Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-r-reader/) > [“The GR site has acquired its market value through the work of its community.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-r-reader/the-gr-site-has-acquired-its-market-value-through-the-work-of-its/) [G.R. Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-r-reader/) > [“As the voices fall silent, the individuals who make up the amorphous and always changing community must decide for themselves, as they always have.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-r-reader/as-the-voices-fall-silent-the-individuals-who-make-up-the-amorphous/) [G.R. Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-r-reader/) > [“I urge you strongly not to give Stop the Goodreads Bullies traffic. Their initial postings were all doxings of reviewers. ... There are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-r-reader/i-urge-you-strongly-not-to-give-stop-the-goodreads-bullies-traffic/) [G.R. Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-r-reader/) > [“You may wish to spend a moment thinking about whether this person is an asset or a liability to your company”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-r-reader/you-may-wish-to-spend-a-moment-thinking-about-whether-this-person-is/) [G.R. Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-r-reader/) [Explore all 16 G.R. Reader quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-r-reader/) ## More Book burning quotes > [“Book Bans Are Dumb (Sonnet 1587) Book bans are dumb, It makes the mind numb. If banning books were justice, Middle ages would've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/book-bans-are-dumb-sonnet-1587-book-bans-are-dumb-it-makes-the-mind/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“With school turning out more runners, jumpers, racers, tinkerers, grabbers, snatchers, fliers, and swimmers instead of examiners, critics, knowers, and imaginative creators, the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/with-school-turning-out-more-runners-jumpers-racers-tinkerers/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Book burning is a charming old custom, hallowed by antiquity. It has been practiced for centuries by fascists, communists, atheists, school children, rival authors,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-armour/book-burning-is-a-charming-old-custom-hallowed-by-antiquity-it-has/) [Richard Armour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-armour/) > [Book burnings. Always the forerunners. Heralds of the stake, the ovens, the mass graves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/book-burnings-always-the-forerunners-heralds-of-the-stake-the-ovens/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [People die, but books never die. No man and no force can abolish memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/people-die-but-books-never-die-no-man-and-no-force-can-abolish-memory/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [“Colored people don’t like Little Black Sambo . Burn it. White people don’t feel good about Uncle Tom’s Cabin . Burn it. Someone’s written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/colored-people-don-t-like-little-black-sambo-burn-it-white-people-don/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Shut the door, they're coming through the window, shut the window, they're coming through the door," are the words to an old song. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/shut-the-door-they-re-coming-through-the-window-shut-the-window-they/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [The source of better ideas is wisdom. The surest path to wisdom is a liberal education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-whitney-griswold/the-source-of-better-ideas-is-wisdom-the-surest-path-to-wisdom-is-a/) [Alfred Whitney Griswold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-whitney-griswold/) > [“I'm sure the only act that sells more books than a good banning is a good burning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pansy-schneider-horst/i-m-sure-the-only-act-that-sells-more-books-than-a-good-banning-is-a/) [Pansy Schneider-Horst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pansy-schneider-horst/) > [Books can not be killed by fire. People die, but books never die. No man and no force can abolish memory... In this war,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/books-can-not-be-killed-by-fire-people-die-but-books-never-die-no-man/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [“Better watch her. She burns other people's books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsukumizu/better-watch-her-she-burns-other-people-s-books/) [Tsukumizu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsukumizu/) > [“Truth is the greatest of all national possessions. A state, a people, a system, which suppresses the truth or fears to publish it, deserves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-eisner/truth-is-the-greatest-of-all-national-possessions-a-state-a-people-a/) [Kurt Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-eisner/) > [“Where they burn books, at the end they also burn people”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/where-they-burn-books-at-the-end-they-also-burn-people/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [“My men are my references. They're waiting outside for the books. They're dangerous." "Men like that always are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/my-men-are-my-references-they-re-waiting-outside-for-the-books-they/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [People die, but books never die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/people-die-but-books-never-die/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) [Browse all 33 Book burning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-burning/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If people wrote their reviews on paper and put them into a real, physical library, I am sure that the Goodreads administrators would be very reluctant to pull them down from shelves and burn them. When you can get rid of a piece of writing just by clicking on a few links, there’s a temptation to believe that it’s less serious. But it isn’t. It’s just less clear what you’ve done.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "G.R. 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