--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we as a society do not understand 'the…" description: "\"If we as a society do not understand 'the cloud,' in all its aspects - what data it holds, how it works, what the bargains are we make as we engage wit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/391/john-battelle-7041_aspects_if-we-as-a-society-do-not-understand-the_2336995.png" --- # If we as a society do not understand 'the cloud,' in all… ![“If we as a society do not understand 'the cloud,' in all its aspects - what data it holds, how it works, what the bargains are we make as we engage with it, we'll all be the poorer for it, I believe.” quote by John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/391/john-battelle-7041_aspects_if-we-as-a-society-do-not-understand-the_2336995.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/391/john-battelle-7041_aspects_if-we-as-a-society-do-not-understand-the_2336995.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/391/john-battelle-7041_aspects_if-we-as-a-society-do-not-understand-the_2336995.png) > “If we as a society do not understand 'the cloud,' in all its aspects - what data it holds, how it works, what the bargains are we make as we engage with it, we'll all be the poorer for it, I believe.” [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding cloud technology’s data, mechanics, and economics is essential to avoid societal disadvantage. **In simple terms:** Knowing the cloud prevents us from being left behind. Key Takeaway Learn cloud basics to stay informed. Themes technology literacy data sovereignty economics of tech Mood informative cautionary Type educational policy‑oriented When to use this quote - business strategy - policy making - personal data management - education curricula Key Concepts cloud computing data privacy digital economy Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of the cloud are most misunderstood? - How can individuals demand transparency? A Different Perspective Complex cloud systems can be opaque, making true understanding difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aspects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aspects/) [Bargains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bargains/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cloud/) [Data](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/) [Engage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engage/) [Holds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holds/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [I believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-believe/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [Poorer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poorer/) [Poorer Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poorer-believe-5642614/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Society Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society-understand-1510504/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand/) [Understand Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand-cloud-5642613/) [Works](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/works/) ## Related quotes > [I tend to write society as I see and understand it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin-2/i-tend-to-write-society-as-i-see-and-understand-it/) [N. K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin-2/) > [“No society can understand itself without looking at its shadow side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/no-society-can-understand-itself-without-looking-at-its-shadow-side/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [In the end, I think the majority of Romanian society will understand that if we respect environmental protection standards, if we have benefits in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-ponta/in-the-end-i-think-the-majority-of-romanian-society-will-understand/) [Victor Ponta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-ponta/) > [“There really is power in numbers. In today’s society one has to understand the true power of word of mouth. It’s true that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-zingerman/there-really-is-power-in-numbers-in-today-s-society-one-has-to/) [Simon Zingerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-zingerman/) > [No general description of the mode of advance of human knowledge can be just which leaves out of account the social aspect of knowledge.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sanders-peirce/no-general-description-of-the-mode-of-advance-of-human-knowledge-can/) [Charles Sanders Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sanders-peirce/) > [“However,he also found himself constantly stalked by marriage-minded mamas and their braying daughters, and, frankly, while he'd thought it rather amusing in a twisted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynsay-sands/however-he-also-found-himself-constantly-stalked-by-marriage-minded/) [Lynsay Sands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynsay-sands/) > [We're a poorer country. You've seen how we're stealing airplane parts for our fighter jets. We're going to do something that will make you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-re-a-poorer-country-you-ve-seen-how-we-re-stealing-airplane-parts/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“It rankled her that people richer than she were so often less worthy and attractive. More slobbish and louty. Comfort could be found in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-franzen/it-rankled-her-that-people-richer-than-she-were-so-often-less-worthy/) [Jonathan Franzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-franzen/) > [“How was a boy who'd tasted poverty ever expected to choose the poorer road?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-morton/how-was-a-boy-who-d-tasted-poverty-ever-expected-to-choose-the-poorer/) [Kate Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-morton/) > [We live increasingly in a world of haves and have-nots, of gated communities next to ghettos, of extreme poverty and unbelievable riches. Some enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/we-live-increasingly-in-a-world-of-haves-and-have-nots-of-gated/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [I believe in the vows that I took with my wife. Through sickness, in health, for richer or poorer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schiavo/i-believe-in-the-vows-that-i-took-with-my-wife-through-sickness-in/) [Michael Schiavo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schiavo/) > [The fellow that has no money is poor. The fellow that has nothing but money is poorer still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/the-fellow-that-has-no-money-is-poor-the-fellow-that-has-nothing-but/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [An ignorant person is poorer than the man who has no money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/an-ignorant-person-is-poorer-than-the-man-who-has-no-money/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [To become rich in no time is very easy. The only thing you have to do is to look at those who are poorer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/to-become-rich-in-no-time-is-very-easy-the-only-thing-you-have-to-do/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“This is a world where the educated get richer and the uneducated get poorer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-h-harrison/this-is-a-world-where-the-educated-get-richer-and-the-uneducated-get/) [Harry H Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-h-harrison/) ## More by John Battelle > [When good media takes a bounded form, and comes once in a period of time, it begs to be consumed as a whole -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/when-good-media-takes-a-bounded-form-and-comes-once-in-a-period-of/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [The 'Occupy' movement seems to have found a central theme to its 2012 movement around overturning 'the corporation as a person,' and some legislators…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/the-occupy-movement-seems-to-have-found-a-central-theme-to-its-2012/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [Increasingly, search is our mechanism for how we understand ourselves, our world, and our place within it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/increasingly-search-is-our-mechanism-for-how-we-understand-ourselves/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [You happily give Facebook terabytes of structured data about yourself, content with the implicit tradeoff that Facebook is going to give you a social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/you-happily-give-facebook-terabytes-of-structured-data-about-yourself/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [We speak of 'software eating the world,' 'the Internet of Things,' and we massify 'data' by declaring it 'Big.' But these concepts remain for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/we-speak-of-software-eating-the-world-the-internet-of-things-and-we/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [Bitcoin woke us all up to a new way to pay, and culturally, I think a much larger percentage of us have become accustomed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/bitcoin-woke-us-all-up-to-a-new-way-to-pay-and-culturally-i-think-a/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [When you bring the scale and precision of data-driven platforms to the brilliance of great media executions, magic will happen. Delivering on that vision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/when-you-bring-the-scale-and-precision-of-data-driven-platforms-to/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [There will soon be streams of data coming from all manner of products - appliances, clothing, sporting goods, you name it. Wouldn't you rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/there-will-soon-be-streams-of-data-coming-from-all-manner-of-products/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [The smart phone isn't a perfect device, as we all know. It forces the world into a tiny screen. It runs out of battery,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/the-smart-phone-isn-t-a-perfect-device-as-we-all-know-it-forces-the/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [The truth is, truly passionate media creators don't get into the media business to make huge gains from spectacular unicorn exits. When it happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/the-truth-is-truly-passionate-media-creators-don-t-get-into-the-media/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [Building out a professional profile on LinkedIn certainly makes sense, and bolstering that CV with intelligent pieces of writing is also a great idea.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/building-out-a-professional-profile-on-linkedin-certainly-makes-sense/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > ['Dependent web' platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Google and Yahoo are where people go to discover and share new content. Independent sites are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/dependent-web-platforms-such-as-twitter-facebook-google-and-yahoo-are/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [I like Diaspora because it's audacious, it's driven by passion, and it's very, very hard to do. After all, who in their right mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/i-like-diaspora-because-it-s-audacious-it-s-driven-by-passion-and-it/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [I've been a Mac guy for almost my entire adult life. I wrote my first college papers on a typewriter, but by the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/i-ve-been-a-mac-guy-for-almost-my-entire-adult-life-i-wrote-my-first/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [As our society tips toward one based on data, our collective decisions around how that data can be used will determine what kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/as-our-society-tips-toward-one-based-on-data-our-collective-decisions/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) [Explore all 95 John Battelle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) ## More Aspects quotes > [A monkey is unaware that atoms exist. Likewise, our brainpower may not stretch to the deepest aspects of reality. The bedrock nature of space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/a-monkey-is-unaware-that-atoms-exist-likewise-our-brainpower-may-not/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [People say that globalisation has negative aspects, but I don't believe globalisation is bad. It's criticised from a western perspective, but if you put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tadashi-yanai/people-say-that-globalisation-has-negative-aspects-but-i-don-t/) [Tadashi Yanai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tadashi-yanai/) > [I like to take certain aspects of genre fiction and modify them in my own way. 'Your Republic Is Calling You' follows the form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-young-ha/i-like-to-take-certain-aspects-of-genre-fiction-and-modify-them-in-my/) [Kim Young-ha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-young-ha/) > [We may not like our times or many aspects of the time we live in but that is not the fault of art as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elliott/we-may-not-like-our-times-or-many-aspects-of-the-time-we-live-in-but/) [David Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elliott/) > [“Join up the different aspects of yourself – sort of like a team.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-hochberg/join-up-the-different-aspects-of-yourself-sort-of-like-a-team/) [Art Hochberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-hochberg/) > [What are the aspects of yourself that line up with the character? You magnify those, and the ones that don't match up you kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/what-are-the-aspects-of-yourself-that-line-up-with-the-character-you/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [“this has more aspects than a cat has hair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/this-has-more-aspects-than-a-cat-has-hair/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [I love acting, but don't necessarily enjoy other aspects of the business. For me, going to celebrity parties is like work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-parish/i-love-acting-but-don-t-necessarily-enjoy-other-aspects-of-the/) [Sarah Parish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-parish/) > [There are a lot of similar aspects in all the religions. The question is which side of it you hold up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/there-are-a-lot-of-similar-aspects-in-all-the-religions-the-question/) [Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/) > [Throughout my career I have been an advocate for women, in all aspects of their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/throughout-my-career-i-have-been-an-advocate-for-women-in-all-aspects/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Extreme weather threatens our energy and electric grid, federal buildings, transportation infrastructure, access to natural resources, public health, our relationships across the globe, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-cartwright/extreme-weather-threatens-our-energy-and-electric-grid-federal/) [Matt Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-cartwright/) > [Anuj Bahari has always been a really good literary agent for me. What a good agent does is that he manages many of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amish-tripathi/anuj-bahari-has-always-been-a-really-good-literary-agent-for-me-what/) [Amish Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amish-tripathi/) > [I don't want to spoil the magic, but it's a very curious thing that honestly baffles me. It's the nearest we'll ever get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-atkinson/i-don-t-want-to-spoil-the-magic-but-it-s-a-very-curious-thing-that/) [Kate Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-atkinson/) > [Frankly, we actresses are so much in a hurry. We feel we have very few years to shine in our career, so we neglect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/frankly-we-actresses-are-so-much-in-a-hurry-we-feel-we-have-very-few/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The reason I'm in San Diego is not because I want distance from South Africa but because I want proximity to the people I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/athol-fugard/the-reason-i-m-in-san-diego-is-not-because-i-want-distance-from-south/) [Athol Fugard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/athol-fugard/) [Browse all 251 Aspects quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aspects/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we as a society do not understand 'the cloud,' in all its aspects - what data it holds, how it works, what the bargains are we make as we engage with it, we'll all be the poorer for it, I believe.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Battelle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/if-we-as-a-society-do-not-understand-the-cloud-in-all-its-aspects/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Aspects" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/if-we-as-a-society-do-not-understand-the-cloud-in-all-its-aspects/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/391/john-battelle-7041_aspects_if-we-as-a-society-do-not-understand-the_2336995.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/391/john-battelle-7041_aspects_if-we-as-a-society-do-not-understand-the_2336995.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/391/john-battelle-7041_aspects_if-we-as-a-society-do-not-understand-the_2336995.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we as a society do not understand 'the cloud,' in all its aspects - what data it holds, how it works…” — John Battelle", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Battelle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If we as a society do...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/if-we-as-a-society-do-not-understand-the-cloud-in-all-its-aspects/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/if-we-as-a-society-do-not-understand-the-cloud-in-all-its-aspects/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```