--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The web is just a device by which bad…" description: "\"“The web is just a device by which bad ideas travel around the globe at the speed of light.”\" — P.J. O'Rourke" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/p-j-o-rourke-2-11933_bad-idea_the-web-is-just-a-device-by-which-bad-id_2928090.jpg" --- # The web is just a device by which bad ideas travel around… ![“The web is just a device by which bad ideas travel around the globe at the speed of light.” quote by P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/p-j-o-rourke-2-11933_bad-idea_the-web-is-just-a-device-by-which-bad-id_2928090.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/p-j-o-rourke-2-11933_bad-idea_the-web-is-just-a-device-by-which-bad-id_2928090.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80d/p-j-o-rourke-2-11933_bad-idea_the-web-is-just-a-device-by-which-bad-id_2928090.jpg) > ““The web is just a device by which bad ideas travel around the globe at the speed of light.”” [P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/) ## 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 spreads harmful concepts quickly across the world. **In simple terms:** Bad ideas travel fast online. Key Takeaway Critically evaluate information before sharing. Themes technology information society risk communication Mood cautious reflective Type critical observational When to use this quote - social media - online forums - news dissemination - public discourse Key Concepts viral spread misinformation digital ethics Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards can reduce harmful online content? - How can we promote positive ideas on the internet? A Different Perspective Not all rapid communication is negative; can be used for good. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-idea/) [Bad ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-ideas/) [Globe Speed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/globe-speed-4301381/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Speed Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speed-light/) [Speed of light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speed-of-light/) [Web Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/web-just-786601/) ## Related quotes > [20,000 leagues away, catch up to you on the same day. Travel at the speed of light, thinking the same thoughts at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-timberlake/20-000-leagues-away-catch-up-to-you-on-the-same-day-travel-at-the/) [Justin Timberlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-timberlake/) > [The speed of light sucks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carmack/the-speed-of-light-sucks/) [John Carmack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carmack/) > [“Rumors travel faster then the speed of light”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sukant-ratnakar/rumors-travel-faster-then-the-speed-of-light/) [Sukant Ratnakar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sukant-ratnakar/) > [If they're traveling at the speed of light, their month is perhaps the equivalent of twenty of our years. So they're just buzzing around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-schultz/if-they-re-traveling-at-the-speed-of-light-their-month-is-perhaps-the/) [Dwight Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-schultz/) > [“The Lorentz transformations, with their absolute condition c (the speed of light, with light being massless, maximally length-contracted and time-dilated) show that the “physical”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-thomas-stark/the-lorentz-transformations-with-their-absolute-condition-c-the-speed/) [Dr. Thomas Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-thomas-stark/) > [“By the way, goals and objectives are meaningless at the speed of light. At the speed of light, you aren’t going somewhere, you’re already…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/by-the-way-goals-and-objectives-are-meaningless-at-the-speed-of-light/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [“Will once said each galaxy has about a hundred billion stars. He said that ninety-eight percent of what exists around us we can't even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-davenport/will-once-said-each-galaxy-has-about-a-hundred-billion-stars-he-said/) [Kiana Davenport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-davenport/) > [“Later, we shall see that if it were possible to exceed the speed of light, we could construct time machines capable of transporting us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-cox/later-we-shall-see-that-if-it-were-possible-to-exceed-the-speed-of/) [Brian Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-cox/) > [Nuclear fusion of light elements like hydrogen or helium would permit approaching the speed of light. It seems very attractive to refuel your space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-greatbatch/nuclear-fusion-of-light-elements-like-hydrogen-or-helium-would-permit/) [Wilson Greatbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-greatbatch/) > [Every string theory that's been written down says the speed of light is universal. But other ideas about quantum gravity predict the speed of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/every-string-theory-that-s-been-written-down-says-the-speed-of-light/) [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) > [Transmitted at the speed of light, all events on this planet are simultaneous. In the electric environment of information all events are simultaneous, there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/transmitted-at-the-speed-of-light-all-events-on-this-planet-are/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [ “Fascinating ... The whole thing \[the school dance\] seems to work on a similar principle to a supercollider. You know, two streams of opposingly… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-murray/fascinating-the-whole-thing-the-school-dance-seems-to-work-on-a/) [Paul Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-murray/) > [Nothing travels faster than the speed of light, with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its own special laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/nothing-travels-faster-than-the-speed-of-light-with-the-possible/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [On the whole, love comes with the speed of light; separation, with that of sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/on-the-whole-love-comes-with-the-speed-of-light-separation-with-that/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [“an electron accelerated to .9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999 times the speed of light would hit you with the same impact as a Mack truck traveling at normal speed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/an-electron-accelerated-to/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) ## More by P.J. O'Rourke > [“Sucking the fun out of life has always been an important component of politics.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke-2/sucking-the-fun-out-of-life-has-always-been-an-important-component-of/) [P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/) > [“A road trip with Richard Nixon would seem like gum surgery on wheels. But Hunter S. Thompson actually went on a road trip with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke-2/a-road-trip-with-richard-nixon-would-seem-like-gum-surgery-on-wheels/) [P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/) > [“Perhaps in that flight of birds . . . the leader was not really a bold spirit trusting to its own initiative and hypnotizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke-2/perhaps-in-that-flight-of-birds-the-leader-was-not-really-a-bold/) [P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/) > [“Indeed, it costs more. CNN reports that Hillary and Bill collected $153 million in speaking fees between 2001 and 2015. Ken Starr, according to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke-2/indeed-it-costs-more-cnn-reports-that-hillary-and-bill-collected-153/) [P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/) > [“The world’s richest man pulled Microsoft out of his butt. All Bill Gates exploited was a line of 0s and 1s as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke-2/the-world-s-richest-man-pulled-microsoft-out-of-his-butt-all-bill/) [P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/) > [“We all know how 'modern democracies take loaves from the wealthy.' It's the slipups in the 'pass them out to the poor' department that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke-2/we-all-know-how-modern-democracies-take-loaves-from-the-wealthy-it-s/) [P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/) > [“The Affordable Health Care for Americans Act, passed by the House of Representatives on November 7, 2009, was 1,990 pages long. You could stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke-2/the-affordable-health-care-for-americans-act-passed-by-the-house-of/) [P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/) > [“We common folk may not be able to match Trump’s piggy bank, but even the most high-minded and charitable among us can match his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke-2/we-common-folk-may-not-be-able-to-match-trump-s-piggy-bank-but-even/) [P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/) > [“If Melania had come out and said, “According to my husband, I should be very pretty to get what I want in life,” that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke-2/if-melania-had-come-out-and-said-according-to-my-husband-i-should-be/) [P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/) > [“Instead of cathedrals, mosques and ancient temples, we have duty-free shops—at their best in Kuwait. I never knew there was so much stuff I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke-2/instead-of-cathedrals-mosques-and-ancient-temples-we-have-duty-free/) [P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/) > [“And if there’s a libertarian moment in the future it won’t be while moderates are in charge. Because there are three basic tenets to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke-2/and-if-there-s-a-libertarian-moment-in-the-future-it-won-t-be-while/) [P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/) > [“We got over feminism, too. At least women did, as soon as they were hired for those high-prestige jobs that only men used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke-2/we-got-over-feminism-too-at-least-women-did-as-soon-as-they-were/) [P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/) > [“Being gloomy is easier than being cheerful. Anybody can say "I've got cancer" and get a rise out of a crowd. But how many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke-2/being-gloomy-is-easier-than-being-cheerful-anybody-can-say-i-ve-got/) [P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/) > [“The proper behaviour all through the holiday season is to be drunk. The drunkenness culminates on New Years’ Eve, when you get so drunk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke-2/the-proper-behaviour-all-through-the-holiday-season-is-to-be-drunk/) [P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/) > [“It is astonishing that Donald Trump managed to eke out a victory over Donald Trump at the polls. It is amazing how narrow the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke-2/it-is-astonishing-that-donald-trump-managed-to-eke-out-a-victory-over/) [P.J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/) [Explore all 56 P.J. O'Rourke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke-2/) ## More Bad idea quotes > [“In the parking lot, she drove and parked in a dark area with no other cars around. She reclined her seat, and listened to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tao-lin/in-the-parking-lot-she-drove-and-parked-in-a-dark-area-with-no-other/) [Tao Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tao-lin/) > [By the time I was seventeen, I was on my way to Hollywood and didn't look back. My family is supportive now, but like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-heard/by-the-time-i-was-seventeen-i-was-on-my-way-to-hollywood-and-didn-t/) [Amber Heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-heard/) > [One thing I know is that it is a bad idea to marry someone who had bad parents. If they hated their mother, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-gilchrist/one-thing-i-know-is-that-it-is-a-bad-idea-to-marry-someone-who-had/) [Ellen Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-gilchrist/) > [Government likes committees... a lot. Committees kill all the really good ideas and generally all the really bad ideas. They produce middle-ground mush.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/government-likes-committees-a-lot-committees-kill-all-the-really-good/) [Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/) > [It's not a bad idea to call this Cthulhuism & Yog-Sothothery of mine "The Mythology of Hastur" - although it was really from Machen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft/it-s-not-a-bad-idea-to-call-this-cthulhuism-yog-sothothery-of-mine/) [H. P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft/) > [More than any other personality trait, my mother seemed to be ruled by anger and sadness. She seemed to hate being a mother. Watching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merrill-markoe/more-than-any-other-personality-trait-my-mother-seemed-to-be-ruled-by/) [Merrill Markoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merrill-markoe/) > [“Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to inflict my rantings on you, even though we are destined to spend the rest of our lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/sorry-he-apologized-i-didn-t-mean-to-inflict-my-rantings-on-you-even/) [connie willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) > [“Jesus. Chicago, Kansas City, Denver, Phoenix, L.A., and Seattle, plus two small towns she'd never heard of in the Gulf Coast region. The unit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-hooper/jesus-chicago-kansas-city-denver-phoenix-l-a-and-seattle-plus-two/) [Kay Hooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-hooper/) > [“Civilization is an experiment, a very recent way of life in the human career, and it has a habit of walking into what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-wright/civilization-is-an-experiment-a-very-recent-way-of-life-in-the-human/) [Ronald Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-wright/) > [Idea-Advocacy Matrix highlights a couple of things: that good ideas need to be "sold" if they are ever going to see the light of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-daly/idea-advocacy-matrix-highlights-a-couple-of-things-that-good-ideas/) [John Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-daly/) > [“It is not a bad idea to get into the habbit of writing one's thoughts. It saves one having to bother anyone else with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-colegate/it-is-not-a-bad-idea-to-get-into-the-habbit-of-writing-one-s-thoughts/) [Isabel Colegate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-colegate/) > [“Medical research has revealed that in about one-tenth of the population, the liver processes alcohol differently, releasing a chemical messenger that creates the craving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaylie-jones/medical-research-has-revealed-that-in-about-one-tenth-of-the/) [Kaylie Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaylie-jones/) > [“Sometimes I have good ideas, sometimes I have bad ideas and sometimes I have colossally bad ideas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-cellier/sometimes-i-have-good-ideas-sometimes-i-have-bad-ideas-and-sometimes/) [Melanie Cellier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-cellier/) > [I have done conferences explaining that cloud is a bad idea. It's putting all your eggs in one basket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-demon-calce/i-have-done-conferences-explaining-that-cloud-is-a-bad-idea-it-s/) [Michael Demon Calce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-demon-calce/) > [Minimum sales prices for alcohol are a startlingly bad idea. As with excise duties, the effects are regressive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/minimum-sales-prices-for-alcohol-are-a-startlingly-bad-idea-as-with/) [Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/) [Browse all 550 Bad idea quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-idea/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The web is just a device by which bad ideas travel around the globe at the speed of light.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "P.J. 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