--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Internet works because a lot of…" description: "\"The Internet works because a lot of people cooperate to do things together.\" — Jon Postel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf2/jon-postel-19538_cooperate_the-internet-works-because-a-lot-of-peop_2535587.png" --- # The Internet works because a lot of people cooperate to do… ![“The Internet works because a lot of people cooperate to do things together.” quote by Jon Postel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf2/jon-postel-19538_cooperate_the-internet-works-because-a-lot-of-peop_2535587.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf2/jon-postel-19538_cooperate_the-internet-works-because-a-lot-of-peop_2535587.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf2/jon-postel-19538_cooperate_the-internet-works-because-a-lot-of-peop_2535587.png) > “The Internet works because a lot of people cooperate to do things together.” [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. The Internet functions because many people collaborate to achieve shared goals. **In simple terms:** Collaboration powers the Internet. Key Takeaway Foster cooperation for better outcomes. Themes technology collaboration networking Mood optimistic analytical Type inspirational technical When to use this quote - online communities - software development Key Concepts open source collective intelligence global communication Questions to Reflect On - How can we improve online cooperation? - What incentives drive collective action? A Different Perspective Collaboration can be hindered by conflicting interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cooperate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cooperate/) [Cooperate Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cooperate-things-1385833/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Internet Works](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet-works-411199/) [Lot People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lot-people-230873/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Cooperate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-cooperate-1385832/) [Teamwork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teamwork/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) ## Related quotes > [“The police seem to be learning the hard way that the more abusive they are to people, the less people will cooperate with them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-police-seem-to-be-learning-the-hard-way-that-the-more-abusive/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [People do not cooperate under the division of labor because they love or should love one another. They cooperate because this best serves their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/people-do-not-cooperate-under-the-division-of-labor-because-they-love/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [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 only way that has ever been discovered to have a lot of people cooperate together voluntarily is through the free market. And that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-only-way-that-has-ever-been-discovered-to-have-a-lot-of-people/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [You have to remember the way the internet works, when you communicate with the server, it's very likely not in your country. It's somewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/you-have-to-remember-the-way-the-internet-works-when-you-communicate/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Technologically, the Internet works thanks to loose but trusted connections among its many constituent parts, with easy entry and exit for new ISPs or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/technologically-the-internet-works-thanks-to-loose-but-trusted/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [Gold has worked for thousands of years, but now with the Internet, it works even better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/gold-has-worked-for-thousands-of-years-but-now-with-the-internet-it/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [Anyone who's an executive at a record label does not understand what the Internet is, how it works, how people use it, how fans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-reznor/anyone-who-s-an-executive-at-a-record-label-does-not-understand-what/) [Trent Reznor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-reznor/) > [The Internet works thanks to loose but trusted connections among its many constituent parts, with easy entry and exit for new Internet service providers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/the-internet-works-thanks-to-loose-but-trusted-connections-among-its/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [Social media, and the way the Internet works, you see a lot of funny things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicklas-bendtner/social-media-and-the-way-the-internet-works-you-see-a-lot-of-funny/) [Nicklas Bendtner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicklas-bendtner/) > [“Leaders don’t give excessive vocal orders. They humbly involve people and together cooperate with them to make a change happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/leaders-don-t-give-excessive-vocal-orders-they-humbly-involve-people/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [No organization should be allowed near disaster unless they are willing to cooperate with some level of established leadership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-redlener/no-organization-should-be-allowed-near-disaster-unless-they-are/) [Irwin Redlener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-redlener/) > [We are ready to cooperate in any way to achieve stability in Syria, of course taking into consideration the interest of the country, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/we-are-ready-to-cooperate-in-any-way-to-achieve-stability-in-syria-of/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [I'm often at odds with my colleagues, but I've managed to get legislation passed which will not even be attempted in other states. Rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-chambers/i-m-often-at-odds-with-my-colleagues-but-i-ve-managed-to-get/) [Ernie Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-chambers/) > [With those who are willing to join, let us cooperate to reduce the burden of arms, to strengthen the structure of peace, to lift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/with-those-who-are-willing-to-join-let-us-cooperate-to-reduce-the/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) ## 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 Cooperate quotes > [With those who are willing to join, let us cooperate to reduce the burden of arms, to strengthen the structure of peace, to lift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/with-those-who-are-willing-to-join-let-us-cooperate-to-reduce-the/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [People do not cooperate under the division of labor because they love or should love one another. They cooperate because this best serves their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/people-do-not-cooperate-under-the-division-of-labor-because-they-love/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [I'm often at odds with my colleagues, but I've managed to get legislation passed which will not even be attempted in other states. Rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-chambers/i-m-often-at-odds-with-my-colleagues-but-i-ve-managed-to-get/) [Ernie Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-chambers/) > [We are ready to cooperate in any way to achieve stability in Syria, of course taking into consideration the interest of the country, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/we-are-ready-to-cooperate-in-any-way-to-achieve-stability-in-syria-of/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [No organization should be allowed near disaster unless they are willing to cooperate with some level of established leadership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-redlener/no-organization-should-be-allowed-near-disaster-unless-they-are/) [Irwin Redlener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-redlener/) > [“Leaders don’t give excessive vocal orders. They humbly involve people and together cooperate with them to make a change happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/leaders-don-t-give-excessive-vocal-orders-they-humbly-involve-people/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“I never understood the Prisoner's Dilemma until this day. Do you cooperate when you really do want the highest payoff? When it doesn't even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/i-never-understood-the-prisoner-s-dilemma-until-this-day-do-you/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [You can't cooperate by knocking something about or bossing it or forcing it to do things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mollison/you-can-t-cooperate-by-knocking-something-about-or-bossing-it-or/) [Bill Mollison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mollison/) > [Because we didn't cooperate with China, we gave them motivation to develop their own capability. You know, they developed a very capable rocket system,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-chiao/because-we-didn-t-cooperate-with-china-we-gave-them-motivation-to/) [Leroy Chiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-chiao/) > [I like being 35, I like having a bit of money to spend on music and useless gadgets. The net is providing new ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-wilson/i-like-being-35-i-like-having-a-bit-of-money-to-spend-on-music-and/) [Malcolm Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-wilson/) > [Facilities, property and cooperate together, success is easier,But do not prepare yourself / So in spite of all that man fails](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/facilities-property-and-cooperate-together-success-is-easier-but-do/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [Everyone in our administration is going to cooperate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-plouffe/everyone-in-our-administration-is-going-to-cooperate/) [David Plouffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-plouffe/) > [Whatever I fight weakens me. Whatever I cooperate with strengthens me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/whatever-i-fight-weakens-me-whatever-i-cooperate-with-strengthens-me/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Bipartisanship helps to avoid extremes and imbalances. It causes compromises and accommodations. So let's cooperate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/bipartisanship-helps-to-avoid-extremes-and-imbalances-it-causes/) [Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/) > [It is my strong hope that an environment will be created in which both of our countries can cooperate for the realization of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoshiro-mori/it-is-my-strong-hope-that-an-environment-will-be-created-in-which/) [Yoshiro Mori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoshiro-mori/) [Browse all 80 Cooperate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cooperate/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Internet works because a lot of people cooperate to do things together.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jon Postel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/the-internet-works-because-a-lot-of-people-cooperate-to-do-things/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cooperate" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/the-internet-works-because-a-lot-of-people-cooperate-to-do-things/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf2/jon-postel-19538_cooperate_the-internet-works-because-a-lot-of-peop_2535587.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf2/jon-postel-19538_cooperate_the-internet-works-because-a-lot-of-peop_2535587.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf2/jon-postel-19538_cooperate_the-internet-works-because-a-lot-of-peop_2535587.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Internet works because a lot of people cooperate to do things together.” — 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": "The Internet works because a lot...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/the-internet-works-because-a-lot-of-people-cooperate-to-do-things/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-postel/the-internet-works-because-a-lot-of-people-cooperate-to-do-things/#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 } } ] } ```