--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A “file” was originally—in…" description: "\"“A “file” was originally—in sixteenth-century England—a wire on which slips and bills and notes and letters could be strung for preservation and refere..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/james-gleick-2623_quote_a-file-was-originally-in-sixteenth-centu_1148443.jpg" --- # A “file” was originally—in sixteenth-century England—a… ![“A “file” was originally—in sixteenth-century England—a wire on which slips and bills and notes and letters could be strung for preservation and reference. Then came file folders, file drawers, and file cabinets; then the electronic namesakes of all these; and the inevitable irony. Once a piece of…” quote by James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/james-gleick-2623_quote_a-file-was-originally-in-sixteenth-centu_1148443.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/james-gleick-2623_quote_a-file-was-originally-in-sixteenth-centu_1148443.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad5/james-gleick-2623_quote_a-file-was-originally-in-sixteenth-centu_1148443.jpg) > ““A “file” was originally—in sixteenth-century England—a wire on which slips and bills and notes and letters could be strung for preservation and reference. Then came file folders, file drawers, and file cabinets; then the electronic namesakes of all these; and the inevitable irony. Once a piece of information is filed, it is statistically unlikely ever to be seen again by human eyes.”” [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Information, once organized, tends to disappear from human awareness unless actively revisited. **In simple terms:** Filed info fades without review. Key Takeaway Regularly revisit stored knowledge. Themes information overload memory archiving Mood thoughtful cautious Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - research - personal knowledge management - digital filing Key Concepts cognitive science information theory Questions to Reflect On - What systems keep important info visible? - How often should you review archived material? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on filing can cause loss of valuable data. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Came File](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/came-file-3234935/) [Drawers File](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drawers-file-3234933/) [File](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/file/) [File Drawers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/file-drawers-3234934/) [File Originally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/file-originally-3234932/) ## Related quotes > [“On Memory: Imagine a desk covered with papers. That is everything you are thinking about. Now imagine a stack of file drawers behind it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jedediah-berry/on-memory-imagine-a-desk-covered-with-papers-that-is-everything-you/) [Jedediah Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jedediah-berry/) > [Just don't create a file called.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/just-don-t-create-a-file-called/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Our old site did not have very good support for the disabled, but our new site should soon have much better support. With all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-davidson/our-old-site-did-not-have-very-good-support-for-the-disabled-but-our/) [Mike Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-davidson/) > [Just don't create a file called '-rf.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/just-don-t-create-a-file-called-rf/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [I love getting cookbooks - people will give them to me, and I read them like novels and file everything away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-paltrow/i-love-getting-cookbooks-people-will-give-them-to-me-and-i-read-them/) [Gwyneth Paltrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-paltrow/) > [I spent much of my life dying for somebody to help me even file for a patent or make a prototype. I understand that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-norris/i-spent-much-of-my-life-dying-for-somebody-to-help-me-even-file-for-a/) [Woody Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-norris/) > [The women who file for bankruptcy played by all the rules, but they are still in economic freefall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/the-women-who-file-for-bankruptcy-played-by-all-the-rules-but-they/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [I start a lot of songs and throw them out because the energy is not right. It's almost like the file becomes cursed. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grimes/i-start-a-lot-of-songs-and-throw-them-out-because-the-energy-is-not/) [Grimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grimes/) > [When an international news organization covers a story in Somalia, Yemen, Sudan or wherever, they will fly a crew to go there, spend a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wadah-khanfar/when-an-international-news-organization-covers-a-story-in-somalia/) [Wadah Khanfar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wadah-khanfar/) > [Things don't just fall into place because you have a dream. You're always going to have those negative thoughts. Our minds love to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colletti/things-don-t-just-fall-into-place-because-you-have-a-dream-you-re/) [Stephen Colletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colletti/) > [Without the possibility of action, all knowledge comes to one labeled 'file and forget.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-ellison/without-the-possibility-of-action-all-knowledge-comes-to-one-labeled/) [Ralph Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-ellison/) > [Rank and file Democrats are very patriotic. They love this country and support the military.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-mountjoy/rank-and-file-democrats-are-very-patriotic-they-love-this-country-and/) [Dick Mountjoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-mountjoy/) > [Somebody could send you an office document or a PDF file, and as soon as you open it, it's a booby trap and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/somebody-could-send-you-an-office-document-or-a-pdf-file-and-as-soon/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [When the phonies are expelled from their leadership roles and the Republican Party backs a moderate gubernatorial candidate acceptable to the rank and file…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-paladino/when-the-phonies-are-expelled-from-their-leadership-roles-and-the/) [Carl Paladino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-paladino/) > [Saving a file as 'dyjjyggffj', because I'm too lazy to write a proper name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/saving-a-file-as-dyjjyggffj-because-i-m-too-lazy-to-write-a-proper/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by James Gleick > [When the Lilliputians first saw Gulliver's watch, that "wonderful kind of engine...a globe, half silver and half of some transparent metal," they identified it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/when-the-lilliputians-first-saw-gulliver-s-watch-that-wonderful-kind/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [You know, entropy is associated thermodynamically, in systems involving heat, with disorder. And in an analogous way, information is associated with disorder, which seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/you-know-entropy-is-associated-thermodynamically-in-systems-involving/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“No one has even a definitive spelling for Cawdrey’s name (Cowdrey, Cawdry). But then, no one agreed on the spelling of most names: they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/no-one-has-even-a-definitive-spelling-for-cawdrey-s-name-cowdrey/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“Where, then, is any particular gene—say, the gene for long legs in humans? This is a little like asking where is Beethoven’s Piano Sonata…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/where-then-is-any-particular-gene-say-the-gene-for-long-legs-in/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [Alphabetical order had to be invented to help people organize the first dictionaries. On the other hand, we may have reached a point where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/alphabetical-order-had-to-be-invented-to-help-people-organize-the/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [As a technology, the book is like a hammer. That is to say, it is perfect: a tool ideally suited to its task. Hammers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/as-a-technology-the-book-is-like-a-hammer-that-is-to-say-it-is/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [The universe is computing its own destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/the-universe-is-computing-its-own-destiny/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [A book is not necessarily made of paper. A book is not necessarily made to be read on a Kindle. A book is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/a-book-is-not-necessarily-made-of-paper-a-book-is-not-necessarily/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“From this point of view, the laws of science represent data compression in action. A theoretical physicist acts like a very clever coding algorithm.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/from-this-point-of-view-the-laws-of-science-represent-data/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [Children and scientists share an outlook on life. If I do this, what will happen? is both the motto of the child at play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/children-and-scientists-share-an-outlook-on-life-if-i-do-this-what/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“Your body moves always in the present, the dividing line between the past and the future, but your mind is more free. It can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/your-body-moves-always-in-the-present-the-dividing-line-between-the/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [People worry about Twitter. Twitter is banal. It's 140-character messages. By definition, you can hardly say anything profound. On the other hand, we communicate.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/people-worry-about-twitter-twitter-is-banal-it-s-140-character/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“The Difference Engine stands—for a replica works today, in the Science Museum in London—as a milestone of what could be achieved in precision engineering.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/the-difference-engine-stands-for-a-replica-works-today-in-the-science/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [It is significant that one says book lover and music lover and art lover but not record lover or CD lover or, conversely, text…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/it-is-significant-that-one-says-book-lover-and-music-lover-and-art/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“quoting Tolstoy: “I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/quoting-tolstoy-i-know-that-most-men-including-those-at-ease-with/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) [Explore all 157 James Gleick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) ## More File quotes > [Saving a file as 'dyjjyggffj', because I'm too lazy to write a proper name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/saving-a-file-as-dyjjyggffj-because-i-m-too-lazy-to-write-a-proper/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When the phonies are expelled from their leadership roles and the Republican Party backs a moderate gubernatorial candidate acceptable to the rank and file…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-paladino/when-the-phonies-are-expelled-from-their-leadership-roles-and-the/) [Carl Paladino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-paladino/) > [Somebody could send you an office document or a PDF file, and as soon as you open it, it's a booby trap and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/somebody-could-send-you-an-office-document-or-a-pdf-file-and-as-soon/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [Rank and file Democrats are very patriotic. They love this country and support the military.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-mountjoy/rank-and-file-democrats-are-very-patriotic-they-love-this-country-and/) [Dick Mountjoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-mountjoy/) > [Without the possibility of action, all knowledge comes to one labeled 'file and forget.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-ellison/without-the-possibility-of-action-all-knowledge-comes-to-one-labeled/) [Ralph Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-ellison/) > [Things don't just fall into place because you have a dream. You're always going to have those negative thoughts. Our minds love to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colletti/things-don-t-just-fall-into-place-because-you-have-a-dream-you-re/) [Stephen Colletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colletti/) > [When an international news organization covers a story in Somalia, Yemen, Sudan or wherever, they will fly a crew to go there, spend a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wadah-khanfar/when-an-international-news-organization-covers-a-story-in-somalia/) [Wadah Khanfar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wadah-khanfar/) > [I start a lot of songs and throw them out because the energy is not right. It's almost like the file becomes cursed. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grimes/i-start-a-lot-of-songs-and-throw-them-out-because-the-energy-is-not/) [Grimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grimes/) > [The women who file for bankruptcy played by all the rules, but they are still in economic freefall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/the-women-who-file-for-bankruptcy-played-by-all-the-rules-but-they/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [I spent much of my life dying for somebody to help me even file for a patent or make a prototype. I understand that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-norris/i-spent-much-of-my-life-dying-for-somebody-to-help-me-even-file-for-a/) [Woody Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-norris/) > [I love getting cookbooks - people will give them to me, and I read them like novels and file everything away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-paltrow/i-love-getting-cookbooks-people-will-give-them-to-me-and-i-read-them/) [Gwyneth Paltrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-paltrow/) > [Just don't create a file called '-rf.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/just-don-t-create-a-file-called-rf/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Our old site did not have very good support for the disabled, but our new site should soon have much better support. With all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-davidson/our-old-site-did-not-have-very-good-support-for-the-disabled-but-our/) [Mike Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-davidson/) > [Just don't create a file called.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/just-don-t-create-a-file-called/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [I could send you a bone with a file in it, only you'd eat it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-crowley/i-could-send-you-a-bone-with-a-file-in-it-only-you-d-eat-it/) [Terry Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-crowley/) [Browse all 50 File quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/file/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A “file” was originally—in sixteenth-century England—a wire on which slips and bills and notes and letters could be strung for preservation and reference. 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