--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think they called me the closest thing…" description: "\"I think they called me the closest thing to a God of the Internet.\" — Jon Postel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/909/jon-postel-19538_closest_i-think-they-called-me-the-closest-thing_2117644.png" --- # I think they called me the closest thing to a God of the… ![“I think they called me the closest thing to a God of the Internet.” quote by Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/909/jon-postel-19538_closest_i-think-they-called-me-the-closest-thing_2117644.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/909/jon-postel-19538_closest_i-think-they-called-me-the-closest-thing_2117644.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/909/jon-postel-19538_closest_i-think-they-called-me-the-closest-thing_2117644.png) > “I think they called me the closest thing to a God of the Internet.” [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He humorously claims a godlike status in the early Internet, reflecting his influence and the era’s mythic view of tech leaders. **In simple terms:** He felt like an Internet god. Key Takeaway Recognize the impact of early contributors. Themes technology influence humor Mood lighthearted nostalgic Type historical humorous When to use this quote - early web development - network protocols - online communities Key Concepts history of the internet digital culture Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities come with such influence? - How does myth-making affect tech culture? A Different Perspective The claim is hyperbolic, not literal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Called Closest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-closest-4304177/) [Closest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/closest/) [Closest thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/closest-thing/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [God Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-internet-3580350/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing/) [Thing God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-god/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) ## Related quotes > [I think they called me the closest thing to a God of the Internet. But at the end, that article wasn't very complimentary, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/i-think-they-called-me-the-closest-thing-to-a-god-of-the-internet-but/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [“...the closest thing to god on this earth is a woman's body...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupi-kaur/the-closest-thing-to-god-on-this-earth-is-a-woman-s-body/) [Rupi Kaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupi-kaur/) > [I have a little gypsy palace here in New York. It's all mirrors, and I have my own garden. It's so secluded - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neon-hitch/i-have-a-little-gypsy-palace-here-in-new-york-it-s-all-mirrors-and-i/) [Neon Hitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neon-hitch/) > [Closest thing to perfection,but the farthest thing from me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/closest-thing-to-perfection-but-the-farthest-thing-from-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The Empire State Building is the closest thing to heaven in this city.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-kerr/the-empire-state-building-is-the-closest-thing-to-heaven-in-this-city/) [Deborah Kerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-kerr/) > [In television, a sitcom is probably the closest thing to what it's like working in the theater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bd-wong/in-television-a-sitcom-is-probably-the-closest-thing-to-what-it-s/) [BD Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bd-wong/) > [I cannot imagine not going home to animals. They are the closest thing to God. They don't harbour resentment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/i-cannot-imagine-not-going-home-to-animals-they-are-the-closest-thing/) [Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/) > [My dad didn't want me to go for drama in school, so I chose the closest thing to it and got a bachelors degree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniella-alonso/my-dad-didn-t-want-me-to-go-for-drama-in-school-so-i-chose-the/) [Daniella Alonso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniella-alonso/) > [I wanted 'Southland' to feel immediate, like a ride-along, and to make it the closest thing possible to a cop reality show. We've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-chulack/i-wanted-southland-to-feel-immediate-like-a-ride-along-and-to-make-it/) [Christopher Chulack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-chulack/) > [Love is the closest thing we have to magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-the-closest-thing-we-have-to-magic/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It doesn't matter where it is in the world or who I'm making the movie with; that's the closest thing that I've got to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anya-taylor-joy/it-doesn-t-matter-where-it-is-in-the-world-or-who-i-m-making-the/) [Anya Taylor-Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anya-taylor-joy/) > [ She \[Beyonce\]is probably the closest thing we've seen to Michael Jackson as far as having that determination and drive that I've ever seen. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-jerkins/she-beyonce-is-probably-the-closest-thing-we-ve-seen-to-michael/) [Rodney Jerkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-jerkins/) > [The Toddstock thing is the closest thing, I have to say, a Grateful Dead sort of thing where it all lapses over from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-rundgren/the-toddstock-thing-is-the-closest-thing-i-have-to-say-a-grateful/) [Todd Rundgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-rundgren/) > [...bookstores, libraries... they're the closest thing I have to a church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/bookstores-libraries-they-re-the-closest-thing-i-have-to-a-church/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [You wind up creating from silence, like painting a picture on a blank canvas that could bring tears to somebody's eyes. As songwriters, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-atkins/you-wind-up-creating-from-silence-like-painting-a-picture-on-a-blank/) [Rodney Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-atkins/) ## More by Jon Postel > [I think that audio and video over the internet in the sense of teleconferencing and telephone calls. Maybe we'll actually have picture phone through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/i-think-that-audio-and-video-over-the-internet-in-the-sense-of/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [Being in the limelight has its minuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/being-in-the-limelight-has-its-minuses/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [But I do have a computer at home and a pretty good ISDN connection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/but-i-do-have-a-computer-at-home-and-a-pretty-good-isdn-connection/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [A name indicates what we seek. An address indicates where it is. A route indicates how we get there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/a-name-indicates-what-we-seek-an-address-indicates-where-it-is-a/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [TCP implementations will follow a general principle of robustness: be conservative in what you do, be liberal in what you accept from others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/tcp-implementations-will-follow-a-general-principle-of-robustness-be/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [There was one issue on which there seemed to be almost unanimity: the Internet should not be managed by any government, national or multinational.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/there-was-one-issue-on-which-there-seemed-to-be-almost-unanimity-the/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [Be conservative in its sending behavior, and liberal in its receiving behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/be-conservative-in-its-sending-behavior-and-liberal-in-its-receiving/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [The world wide web has really been quite spectacular and not something I would have predicted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/the-world-wide-web-has-really-been-quite-spectacular-and-not/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [All this stuff was done via FTP but the web has put a really nice user interface on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/all-this-stuff-was-done-via-ftp-but-the-web-has-put-a-really-nice/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [But as soon as we got that higher speed access to the home there?s going to be a tremendous crunch on the backbones for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/but-as-soon-as-we-got-that-higher-speed-access-to-the-home-there-s/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [Group discussion is very valuable; group drafting is less productive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/group-discussion-is-very-valuable-group-drafting-is-less-productive/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [Everyone should have ten megabits and then the web will be a wonderful thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/everyone-should-have-ten-megabits-and-then-the-web-will-be-a/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [In a chemistry class there was a guy sitting in front of me doing what looked like a jigsaw puzzle or some really weird…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/in-a-chemistry-class-there-was-a-guy-sitting-in-front-of-me-doing/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [Then I started graduate school at UCLA. I got a part time research assistant job as a programmer on a project involving the use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/then-i-started-graduate-school-at-ucla-i-got-a-part-time-research/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) > [Corporate documents, like football game plans, are not easily drafted in a stadium, with thousands of very interested fans participating, each with their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/corporate-documents-like-football-game-plans-are-not-easily-drafted/) [Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) [Explore all 32 Jon Postel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/) ## More Closest quotes > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [The reason I'm drawn to it is - both the off road racing and the motorcycles on the track - it takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/the-reason-i-m-drawn-to-it-is-both-the-off-road-racing-and-the/) [Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/) > [Your closest and your most dedicated fans will be your ultimate test. They will test you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-d/your-closest-and-your-most-dedicated-fans-will-be-your-ultimate-test/) [Chuck D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-d/) > [“The closest she got to pretence was politeness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/the-closest-she-got-to-pretence-was-politeness/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [The first responsibility of the Muslim is as teacher. That is his job, to teach. His first school, his first classroom is within the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-rap-brown/the-first-responsibility-of-the-muslim-is-as-teacher-that-is-his-job/) [H. Rap Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-rap-brown/) > [You wind up creating from silence, like painting a picture on a blank canvas that could bring tears to somebody's eyes. As songwriters, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-atkins/you-wind-up-creating-from-silence-like-painting-a-picture-on-a-blank/) [Rodney Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-atkins/) > [One my closest friends doesn't care about sharing her clothes or jewelry, but she never shares her fragrance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-louboutin/one-my-closest-friends-doesn-t-care-about-sharing-her-clothes-or/) [Christian Louboutin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-louboutin/) > [Life’s a journey that goes round and round and the end is closest to the beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-james-olmos/life-s-a-journey-that-goes-round-and-round-and-the-end-is-closest-to/) [Edward James Olmos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-james-olmos/) > [I keep a lot to myself, and I cherish the things that are for me and the people closest to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-oakley/i-keep-a-lot-to-myself-and-i-cherish-the-things-that-are-for-me-and/) [Tyler Oakley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-oakley/) > [I am not somebody who likes to give advice, or anything like that, unless it's my closest friends or family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-cruz/i-am-not-somebody-who-likes-to-give-advice-or-anything-like-that/) [Penelope Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-cruz/) > [On foreign policy, President Obama has kept our nation safe from terrorism and restored our standing in the world. When it comes to one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-schumer/on-foreign-policy-president-obama-has-kept-our-nation-safe-from/) [Chuck Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-schumer/) > [You never know really what anyone thinks about you - that's why all my closest friends are ones I've had since my schooling days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cooper/you-never-know-really-what-anyone-thinks-about-you-that-s-why-all-my/) [Dominic Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cooper/) > [Arthur Conan Doyle was entranced by the notion of a brilliant detective who can deduce everything a stranger has been up to from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-yglesias/arthur-conan-doyle-was-entranced-by-the-notion-of-a-brilliant/) [Rafael Yglesias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-yglesias/) > [A reflection of an exact image is the closest thing to you-so that you can see it-but it's far enough away so that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-bentley/a-reflection-of-an-exact-image-is-the-closest-thing-to-you-so-that/) [Wes Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-bentley/) > [...bookstores, libraries... they're the closest thing I have to a church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/bookstores-libraries-they-re-the-closest-thing-i-have-to-a-church/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) [Browse all 695 Closest quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/closest/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think they called me the closest thing to a God of the Internet.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jon Postel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/i-think-they-called-me-the-closest-thing-to-a-god-of-the-internet/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Closest" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/i-think-they-called-me-the-closest-thing-to-a-god-of-the-internet/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/909/jon-postel-19538_closest_i-think-they-called-me-the-closest-thing_2117644.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/909/jon-postel-19538_closest_i-think-they-called-me-the-closest-thing_2117644.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/909/jon-postel-19538_closest_i-think-they-called-me-the-closest-thing_2117644.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think they called me the closest thing to a God of the Internet.” — Jon Postel", "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": "Jon Postel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-postel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think they called me the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/i-think-they-called-me-the-closest-thing-to-a-god-of-the-internet/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/i-think-they-called-me-the-closest-thing-to-a-god-of-the-internet/#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 } } ] } ```