--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have all been empowered by the web…" description: "\"We have all been empowered by the web: everyone with a keyboard can now effectively broadcast to a national audience. In a sense, it puts each of us on..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/john-hodgman-1811_audience_we-have-all-been-empowered-by-the-web-ev_859729.jpg" --- # We have all been empowered by the web: everyone with a… ![“We have all been empowered by the web: everyone with a keyboard can now effectively broadcast to a national audience. In a sense, it puts each of us on the same footing as the major media conglomerates, except for AOL, who now apparently own all our thoughts and teeth.” quote by John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/john-hodgman-1811_audience_we-have-all-been-empowered-by-the-web-ev_859729.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/john-hodgman-1811_audience_we-have-all-been-empowered-by-the-web-ev_859729.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/john-hodgman-1811_audience_we-have-all-been-empowered-by-the-web-ev_859729.jpg) > “We have all been empowered by the web: everyone with a keyboard can now effectively broadcast to a national audience. In a sense, it puts each of us on the same footing as the major media conglomerates, except for AOL, who now apparently own all our thoughts and teeth.” [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) ## 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 levels the playing field, letting anyone broadcast widely, but corporate control still dominates content. **In simple terms:** The internet lets anyone speak, yet big companies control much of it. Key Takeaway Leverage the web wisely, stay critical of corporate influence. Themes media technology power democracy Mood cautious critical optimistic Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - activism - content creation - political campaigning - media monitoring Key Concepts digital literacy media consolidation public sphere Questions to Reflect On - How can individuals maintain authentic voices online? - What safeguards protect against corporate media dominance? A Different Perspective Corporate ownership can still limit true independence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Empowered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empowered/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) ## Related quotes > [I've learned over the years that big-name writers might be treated fairly by the media conglomerates that dominate publishing today. But the average author…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hauser/i-ve-learned-over-the-years-that-big-name-writers-might-be-treated/) [Thomas Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hauser/) > [To be honest with you, I worry about concentration of ownership in media, where you have a handful of media conglomerates largely controlling what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/to-be-honest-with-you-i-worry-about-concentration-of-ownership-in/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [The bass should be the note of the bass drum, and then you've got the engine of the band that everything else builds on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/the-bass-should-be-the-note-of-the-bass-drum-and-then-you-ve-got-the/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I love jazz. I still do. Dave Brubeck and Stan Getz are so good. I took a notification course in Jazz Orchestration. It wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-lightfoot/i-love-jazz-i-still-do-dave-brubeck-and-stan-getz-are-so-good-i-took/) [Gordon Lightfoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-lightfoot/) > [Destiny, quite often, is a determined parent. Mozart was hardly some naive prodigy who sat down at the keyboard and, with God whispering in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/destiny-quite-often-is-a-determined-parent-mozart-was-hardly-some/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [I started on drums when I was 13 and played them for two years. Then I went to guitar for a year, played keyboards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-bolin/i-started-on-drums-when-i-was-13-and-played-them-for-two-years-then-i/) [Tommy Bolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-bolin/) > [It was a matter of not seeing the woods for the trees. Glorious songs have been in Ireland forever, but a lot of these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-coulter/it-was-a-matter-of-not-seeing-the-woods-for-the-trees-glorious-songs/) Phil Coulter > [When I'm not at the keyboard, I'm generally reading, practicing tai chi or middle eastern dance, or cooking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-zettel/when-i-m-not-at-the-keyboard-i-m-generally-reading-practicing-tai-chi/) [Sarah Zettel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-zettel/) > [Most of the stuff I learned to play, I learned in high school. I had a band in high school, a jazz-fusion thing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mcknight/most-of-the-stuff-i-learned-to-play-i-learned-in-high-school-i-had-a/) [Brian McKnight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mcknight/) > [I can't really deal with buttons. And that's what I keep saying, "Okay, I can't push buttons, because that means I have to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-oliveros/i-can-t-really-deal-with-buttons-and-that-s-what-i-keep-saying-okay-i/) [Pauline Oliveros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-oliveros/) > [While it is becoming increasingly obvious that the fundamental architecture of a system has a profound Influence on the quality of its human factors,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-m-branscomb/while-it-is-becoming-increasingly-obvious-that-the-fundamental/) [Lewis M. Branscomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-m-branscomb/) > [There is nothing like having your hands on a keyboard. Or an acoustic piano. Those are the things you can't really replace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-downes/there-is-nothing-like-having-your-hands-on-a-keyboard-or-an-acoustic/) [Geoff Downes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-downes/) > [Even when I can play Europe's most precious keyboard, to have to listen to people who don't understand, or do not want to understand,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/even-when-i-can-play-europe-s-most-precious-keyboard-to-have-to/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [As for the piano, the faster her fingers flew over it, the more he marveled. She struck the keys with aplomb and ran from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/as-for-the-piano-the-faster-her-fingers-flew-over-it-the-more-he/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [Bruce Katz is a spectacular talent! He's a brilliant composer and arranger who uses uncommon and unique musical intelligence to redefine jazz and blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-coryell/bruce-katz-is-a-spectacular-talent-he-s-a-brilliant-composer-and/) [Larry Coryell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-coryell/) ## More by John Hodgman > [Life may be miraculous in its unlikelihood in the universe, but it would be a fallacy to suggest that its rareness makes it inextinguishable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/life-may-be-miraculous-in-its-unlikelihood-in-the-universe-but-it/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [I navigated the world as a hedge maze of constant fear and worry in which I might take the wrong turn and jeopardize the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-navigated-the-world-as-a-hedge-maze-of-constant-fear-and-worry-in/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [“There are transitions in life whether we want them or not. You get older. You lose jobs and loves and people. The story of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/there-are-transitions-in-life-whether-we-want-them-or-not-you-get/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald meet in hell and team up to assassinate Satan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/john-wilkes-booth-and-lee-harvey-oswald-meet-in-hell-and-team-up-to/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [I think in American culture, we put value on economic success but tell people you don't have to be economically successful to be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-think-in-american-culture-we-put-value-on-economic-success-but-tell/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [If you look in the dictionary under 'perfectionist,' you see Henry Selick correcting the definition of perfectionist in the dictionary. I mean, he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/if-you-look-in-the-dictionary-under-perfectionist-you-see-henry/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [Lies are just another kind of storytelling, but with the very distinct and enlivening motive of desperation. Since writers are by nature desperate creatures,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/lies-are-just-another-kind-of-storytelling-but-with-the-very-distinct/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [I've made my evolutionary purpose and had children. I don't care if anybody likes me, I'm going to do what I want to do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-ve-made-my-evolutionary-purpose-and-had-children-i-don-t-care-if/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [“When you live in New York or any big city, it is easy to fail at growing up. The city is designed to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/when-you-live-in-new-york-or-any-big-city-it-is-easy-to-fail-at/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [I don't wish to brag, but I'm very intelligent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-don-t-wish-to-brag-but-i-m-very-intelligent/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [You wouldn't want to live a life in which you are loved or approved by all people on Earth or even within your own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/you-wouldn-t-want-to-live-a-life-in-which-you-are-loved-or-approved/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [Well, I always had this desire to celebrate and somehow be a part of things that I thought were really great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/well-i-always-had-this-desire-to-celebrate-and-somehow-be-a-part-of/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [I would be good for maybe not the center square but an upper square on 'Hollywood Squares.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-would-be-good-for-maybe-not-the-center-square-but-an-upper-square/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [One of the things about crowd work that's so exciting is when you discover a character in the audience who's interesting or funny, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/one-of-the-things-about-crowd-work-that-s-so-exciting-is-when-you/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [“Maine is not a death cult. I mean, it is, but it's a slow one. It creeps in like the tide, and without your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/maine-is-not-a-death-cult-i-mean-it-is-but-it-s-a-slow-one-it-creeps/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) [Explore all 207 John Hodgman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) ## More Audience quotes > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/) [Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) [Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We have all been empowered by the web: everyone with a keyboard can now effectively broadcast to a national audience. In a sense, it puts each of us on the same footing as the major media conglomerates, except for AOL, who now apparently own all our thoughts and teeth.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Hodgman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/we-have-all-been-empowered-by-the-web-everyone-with-a-keyboard-can/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Audience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/we-have-all-been-empowered-by-the-web-everyone-with-a-keyboard-can/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/john-hodgman-1811_audience_we-have-all-been-empowered-by-the-web-ev_859729.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/john-hodgman-1811_audience_we-have-all-been-empowered-by-the-web-ev_859729.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/john-hodgman-1811_audience_we-have-all-been-empowered-by-the-web-ev_859729.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We have all been empowered by the web: everyone with a keyboard can now effectively broadcast to a national…” — John Hodgman", "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 Hodgman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We have all been empowered by...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/we-have-all-been-empowered-by-the-web-everyone-with-a-keyboard-can/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/we-have-all-been-empowered-by-the-web-everyone-with-a-keyboard-can/#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 } } ] } ```