--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The reason I said the Internet is…" description: "\"The reason I said the Internet is dangerous is that a couple smart guys could hack into a computer and shut down the Eastern seaboard if they wanted to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13c/john-mellencamp-5745_computer_the-reason-i-said-the-internet-is-danger_2913969.jpg" --- # The reason I said the Internet is dangerous is that a… ![“The reason I said the Internet is dangerous is that a couple smart guys could hack into a computer and shut down the Eastern seaboard if they wanted to. It's a terrible, out-of-control thing.” quote by John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13c/john-mellencamp-5745_computer_the-reason-i-said-the-internet-is-danger_2913969.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13c/john-mellencamp-5745_computer_the-reason-i-said-the-internet-is-danger_2913969.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13c/john-mellencamp-5745_computer_the-reason-i-said-the-internet-is-danger_2913969.jpg) > “The reason I said the Internet is dangerous is that a couple smart guys could hack into a computer and shut down the Eastern seaboard if they wanted to. It's a terrible, out-of-control thing.” [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He warns that a few skilled hackers could cause massive disruption, making the internet a dangerous, uncontrolled force. **In simple terms:** Hackers could cause huge damage. Key Takeaway Take security seriously. Themes technology risk control Mood cautious serious Type warning informative When to use this quote - government infrastructure - financial systems - personal data - critical services - public safety Key Concepts cybersecurity power vulnerability Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance openness with safety? - What safeguards are essential? A Different Perspective Security measures can be costly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Couple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/couple/) [Hacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hacks/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) ## Related quotes > [I know a little about Hack (Wilson) because his picture is next to my locker. I am lucky to be there at the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammy-sosa/i-know-a-little-about-hack-wilson-because-his-picture-is-next-to-my/) [Sammy Sosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammy-sosa/) > [“They had an idea. An idea, like a free radical, can spread like a cancer. They seemed out of step with what mainstream society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-k-williams/they-had-an-idea-an-idea-like-a-free-radical-can-spread-like-a-cancer/) M.K. Williams > [I think the Internet is the most dangerous thing invented since the atomic bomb,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/i-think-the-internet-is-the-most-dangerous-thing-invented-since-the/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [E-Commerce is happening the way all the hype said it would. Internet deployment is happening. Broadband is happening. Everything we ever said about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-grove/e-commerce-is-happening-the-way-all-the-hype-said-it-would-internet/) [Andy Grove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-grove/) > [It is commonly said that the Internet is unique in its ability to spread bad information to large numbers of people, but this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-e-agre/it-is-commonly-said-that-the-internet-is-unique-in-its-ability-to/) [Philip E. Agre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-e-agre/) > [“The biggest lie,” he said, “is, The Internet is about you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ronson/the-biggest-lie-he-said-is-the-internet-is-about-you/) [Jon Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-ronson/) > [I enjoy upsetting the right people. I love poking fun at earnest censors. I want to push the bounds of what can be said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-yiannopoulos/i-enjoy-upsetting-the-right-people-i-love-poking-fun-at-earnest/) [Milo Yiannopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-yiannopoulos/) > [“Someone once said, that the internet is the bathroom wall of the 21 century. And that appears to be true, especially since Bobrick transitioned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delia-j-colvin/someone-once-said-that-the-internet-is-the-bathroom-wall-of-the-21/) Delia J. Colvin > [People were touchingly naive at the dawn of the Internet revolution when they said the Internet will route around censorship the way it routes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/people-were-touchingly-naive-at-the-dawn-of-the-internet-revolution/) [Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) > [I tell kids not to be on the Internet. It's dangerous. It's not fun. It wastes your life. You should just be outside playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/i-tell-kids-not-to-be-on-the-internet-it-s-dangerous-it-s-not-fun-it/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [I don't even want to have things associated with my name on the internet - it's very dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-lagerfeld/i-don-t-even-want-to-have-things-associated-with-my-name-on-the/) [Karl Lagerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-lagerfeld/) > [“The anonymity of the internet is a dangerous but powerful thing - to any fool who will listen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-s-bartlett/the-anonymity-of-the-internet-is-a-dangerous-but-powerful-thing-to/) P.S. Bartlett > [Don't try to get involved with people on the Internet because it can be very dangerous. The whole point of 'Trust' is to inform…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liana-liberato/don-t-try-to-get-involved-with-people-on-the-internet-because-it-can/) [Liana Liberato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liana-liberato/) > [I am charging you with the protection of my mother and friends, not to mention keeping my younger self off the Internet. He is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/i-am-charging-you-with-the-protection-of-my-mother-and-friends-not-to/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [We now expect Google, Facebook, Twitter and other companies to police the Internet for dangerous and illegal material - violent, terrorist, criminal - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/we-now-expect-google-facebook-twitter-and-other-companies-to-police/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) ## More by John Mellencamp > [My grandmother made sure that I went to church every Sunday. And she'd come over and pick us boys up, and we would go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/my-grandmother-made-sure-that-i-went-to-church-every-sunday-and-she-d/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [I thought I knew a lot about music. Then you start digging and the deeper you go, the more there is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/i-thought-i-knew-a-lot-about-music-then-you-start-digging-and-the/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [You shouldn't even be in a band if you can't play Buddy Holly's Not Fade Away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/you-shouldn-t-even-be-in-a-band-if-you-can-t-play-buddy-holly-s-not/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [Oh, I think country has changed tremendously. I think country has totally changed. Country music when I was a kid was Hank Williams. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/oh-i-think-country-has-changed-tremendously-i-think-country-has/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [I'm looking for trouble. A lot of people get to be a certain age and they just kind of lose interest or they give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/i-m-looking-for-trouble-a-lot-of-people-get-to-be-a-certain-age-and/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [I know there's a balance/I see it when I swing past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/i-know-there-s-a-balance-i-see-it-when-i-swing-past/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [Growing up leads to growing old and then to dying And dying to me don't sound like all that much fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/growing-up-leads-to-growing-old-and-then-to-dying-and-dying-to-me-don/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [This is not a rock opera. This is not Tommy. I can write songs that emote, and that's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/this-is-not-a-rock-opera-this-is-not-tommy-i-can-write-songs-that/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [Hold on to 16 as long as you can,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/hold-on-to-16-as-long-as-you-can/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [Country sure has changed in the last 10 years. It was one thing, then it was another. Country has slowly marched toward a rock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/country-sure-has-changed-in-the-last-10-years-it-was-one-thing-then/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [I just think if the song's good, sing it. I don't care who's doing it. I don't care if it's a country act. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/i-just-think-if-the-song-s-good-sing-it-i-don-t-care-who-s-doing-it-i/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [I'm not a nostalgic person. I'm not nostalgic about much of anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/i-m-not-a-nostalgic-person-i-m-not-nostalgic-about-much-of-anything/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [Most people in life, give up too early.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/most-people-in-life-give-up-too-early/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [My voice has gotten better from smoking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/my-voice-has-gotten-better-from-smoking/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [Music actually meant something when I started doing it. Too bad I wasn't mature enough to write anything that meant anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/music-actually-meant-something-when-i-started-doing-it-too-bad-i-wasn/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) [Explore all 100 John Mellencamp quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) ## More Computer quotes > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [The display is the computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-hsun-huang/the-display-is-the-computer/) Jen-Hsun Huang > [It's interesting that the greatest minds of computer science, the founding fathers, like Alan Turing and Claude Shannon and Norbert Wiener, they all looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/it-s-interesting-that-the-greatest-minds-of-computer-science-the/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [One of our big goals in search is to make search that really understands exactly what you want, understands everything in the world. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/one-of-our-big-goals-in-search-is-to-make-search-that-really/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [We are beginning to see intimations of this in the implantation of computer devices into the human body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-are-beginning-to-see-intimations-of-this-in-the-implantation-of/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [I'm from the South, so I'm very old-fashioned and I'm not very computer savvy at all, but I'm getting it. I understand that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-harmon/i-m-from-the-south-so-i-m-very-old-fashioned-and-i-m-not-very/) [Angie Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-harmon/) > [“To all the secret writers, late-night painters, would-be singers, lapsed and scared artists of every stripe, dig out your paintbrush, or your flute, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/to-all-the-secret-writers-late-night-painters-would-be-singers-lapsed/) [Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/) > [A little bit more than 50% of what you see on screen is handcrafted and the other 50% was about emulating these textures on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-abreu/a-little-bit-more-than-50-of-what-you-see-on-screen-is-handcrafted/) [Alex Abreu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-abreu/) > [Well I'm trying to think what I put in... I think I put in 'why?' to see if I'd confuse the computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/well-i-m-trying-to-think-what-i-put-in-i-think-i-put-in-why-to-see-if/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [Our brains are great at knowing what to forget. We actually have to teach computers to do the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/our-brains-are-great-at-knowing-what-to-forget-we-actually-have-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [Nor would anybody suspect. If was one thing all people took for granted, was conviction that if you feed honest figures into a computer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/nor-would-anybody-suspect-if-was-one-thing-all-people-took-for/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [In nine months, a group of children left alone with a computer in any language will reach the same standard as an office secretary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugata-mitra/in-nine-months-a-group-of-children-left-alone-with-a-computer-in-any/) [Sugata Mitra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugata-mitra/) > [Why do you do what you do? Why do you dress the way you dress?Why do you do what you do with your time?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-conway/why-do-you-do-what-you-do-why-do-you-dress-the-way-you-dress-why-do/) [Tim Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-conway/) > [Yeah, I'm a geek. I read sci-fi and I watch sci-fi films. I love my computer and I love to fix it. I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-benson/yeah-i-m-a-geek-i-read-sci-fi-and-i-watch-sci-fi-films-i-love-my/) [Amber Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-benson/) [Browse all 3,924 Computer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The reason I said the Internet is dangerous is that a couple smart guys could hack into a computer and shut down the Eastern seaboard if they wanted to. 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