--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When it broke out in the mid 1990s, the…" description: "\"When it broke out in the mid 1990s, the web was society's first at-scale digital artifact. It spread in orders of ten, first thousands, then millions, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45c/john-battelle-7041_billions_when-it-broke-out-in-the-mid-1990s-the-w_2417430.jpg" --- # When it broke out in the mid 1990s, the web was society's… ![“When it broke out in the mid 1990s, the web was society's first at-scale digital artifact. It spread in orders of ten, first thousands, then millions, then hundreds of millions of pages - and on it went, to the billions it now encompasses.” quote by John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45c/john-battelle-7041_billions_when-it-broke-out-in-the-mid-1990s-the-w_2417430.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45c/john-battelle-7041_billions_when-it-broke-out-in-the-mid-1990s-the-w_2417430.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45c/john-battelle-7041_billions_when-it-broke-out-in-the-mid-1990s-the-w_2417430.jpg) > “When it broke out in the mid 1990s, the web was society's first at-scale digital artifact. It spread in orders of ten, first thousands, then millions, then hundreds of millions of pages - and on it went, to the billions it now encompasses.” [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. The web grew exponentially from a small digital artifact to a massive global repository, reshaping society. **In simple terms:** The internet expanded rapidly, becoming a huge digital archive. Key Takeaway Recognize the impact of digital scaling. Themes technology growth society Mood optimistic critical Type analytical observational When to use this quote - business strategy - education - information overload - privacy concerns Key Concepts exponential expansion digital culture Questions to Reflect On - How does massive data affect personal privacy? - What responsibilities come with digital dominance? A Different Perspective Scale can create unforeseen challenges and inequalities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Digital](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digital/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Mid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mid/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Web](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/web/) ## Related quotes > [Gym traumaramas can happen to anyone. One time, I brought a packet of papers to read while jogging on the treadmill. 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