--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The mistake that people made around 2000…" description: "\"The mistake that people made around 2000 with the emergence of the web was that they thought that people would not read long-form on a screen. Followin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/377/terry-mcdonell-84827_cat_the-mistake-that-people-made-around-2000_2650823.jpg" --- # The mistake that people made around 2000 with the… ![“The mistake that people made around 2000 with the emergence of the web was that they thought that people would not read long-form on a screen. Following from that idea, they quit doing long-form on screens. It got shorter and shorter, and then came cats toying with flowers and all of those…” quote by Terry McDonell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/377/terry-mcdonell-84827_cat_the-mistake-that-people-made-around-2000_2650823.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/377/terry-mcdonell-84827_cat_the-mistake-that-people-made-around-2000_2650823.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/377/terry-mcdonell-84827_cat_the-mistake-that-people-made-around-2000_2650823.jpg) > “The mistake that people made around 2000 with the emergence of the web was that they thought that people would not read long-form on a screen. Following from that idea, they quit doing long-form on screens. It got shorter and shorter, and then came cats toying with flowers and all of those clichés, but it was wrong. People will read long-form on a device if they want to read long-form.” Terry McDonell ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The early 2000s underestimated readers' willingness to engage with long‑form content online, leading to a decline in depth, but demand persists when desired. **In simple terms:** Long‑form content still valuable online. Key Takeaway Invest in quality long‑form content for engaged audiences. Themes media content strategy reading habits digital depth Mood analytical strategic Type informative reflective When to use this quote - website design - newsletter creation - e‑books - educational platforms Key Concepts journalism attention economics user experience Questions to Reflect On - How can you make long‑form content compelling? - What topics deserve deep exploration? A Different Perspective Short‑form trends dominate ad revenue, making long‑form risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cat/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Flower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flower/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [I love the long-form format of television. I love being able to develop a character, over a long period of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anson-mount/i-love-the-long-form-format-of-television-i-love-being-able-to/) [Anson Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anson-mount/) > [We like long-form narrative journalism, and we feel there aren't enough high-profile outlets in Canada running the kind of stories we want to showcase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-coady/we-like-long-form-narrative-journalism-and-we-feel-there-aren-t/) [Lynn Coady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-coady/) > [You know, I think there was a point in time when people didn't really understand how birth certificates were kept in the state of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-brewer/you-know-i-think-there-was-a-point-in-time-when-people-didn-t-really/) [Jan Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-brewer/) > [It's a luxury to be able to tell a long form story. I love novels, and I love to have a long relationship with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-campion/it-s-a-luxury-to-be-able-to-tell-a-long-form-story-i-love-novels-and/) [Jane Campion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-campion/) > [In some ways, it's easier to go from short form to long form than vice versa. I used to make 30 second 'movies,' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-sedelmaier/in-some-ways-it-s-easier-to-go-from-short-form-to-long-form-than-vice/) Joe Sedelmaier > [There is certainly no want of journalistic ambition among the purveyors of what is now called 'long-form,' nor of novelistic technique brought to bear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-junod/there-is-certainly-no-want-of-journalistic-ambition-among-the/) [Tom Junod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-junod/) > [I always pushed back on doing long-form. I imagined SpongeBob as being simple, and I wanted to concentrate on character humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hillenburg/i-always-pushed-back-on-doing-long-form-i-imagined-spongebob-as-being/) [Stephen Hillenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hillenburg/) > [We do long-form-style improv. Our focus was characters and telling a long arc story over about an hour and a half. It was closer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-maslany/we-do-long-form-style-improv-our-focus-was-characters-and-telling-a/) [Tatiana Maslany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-maslany/) > [A form wherein we can enjoy simultaneously what is best in both the novel and the short story form. My plan was to create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/a-form-wherein-we-can-enjoy-simultaneously-what-is-best-in-both-the/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [The IRS wants you to use this form because it gets to keep most of your money. So unless you have pond silt for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-irs-wants-you-to-use-this-form-because-it-gets-to-keep-most-of/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [I think I was eight or nine when I had my first long-form tasting menu.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-crenn/i-think-i-was-eight-or-nine-when-i-had-my-first-long-form-tasting-menu/) [Dominique Crenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-crenn/) > [“But really, that is kind of silly,' Abigail tried to explain. 'I mean, a book is much less personal than a programmed screen that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sleator/but-really-that-is-kind-of-silly-abigail-tried-to-explain-i-mean-a/) [William Sleator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sleator/) > [The only two places where I can read for long stretches are in airplanes and in bed at nighttime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/the-only-two-places-where-i-can-read-for-long-stretches-are-in/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [I love to read long books. I enjoy experiencing that extension. But it's not something I feel comfortable with and not something I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-mccrae/i-love-to-read-long-books-i-enjoy-experiencing-that-extension-but-it/) [Shane McCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mccrae/) > [I don't like to read long books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomi-lahren/i-don-t-like-to-read-long-books/) [Tomi Lahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomi-lahren/) ## More by Terry McDonell > [The more new thinking I did, the more successful it seemed to me that I could become. When magazines are really working, and when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mcdonell/the-more-new-thinking-i-did-the-more-successful-it-seemed-to-me-that/) Terry McDonell > [I judge nothing; I just don't do that. Life is too complicated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mcdonell/i-judge-nothing-i-just-don-t-do-that-life-is-too-complicated/) Terry McDonell Explore all 3 Terry McDonell quotes ## More Cat quotes > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [Most people are sensitized to animals through their cats and dogs, but for me it was a flounder. I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) > [One reason why my memory decays is that I have three cats, all so loving and insistent that they play cat's-cradle with every train…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-townsend-warner/one-reason-why-my-memory-decays-is-that-i-have-three-cats-all-so/) [Sylvia Townsend Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-townsend-warner/) > [It's an interesting fact that fewer than 17 % of Real cats end their lives with the same name they started with. Much family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-s-an-interesting-fact-that-fewer-than-17-of-real-cats-end-their/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [The dog is guided by kindly instinct to the man or woman whose heart is open to his advances. The cat often leaves the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/the-dog-is-guided-by-kindly-instinct-to-the-man-or-woman-whose-heart/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [If you ask me to tell you anything about the nature of what lies beyond the phaneron… my answer is “How should I know?”……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/if-you-ask-me-to-tell-you-anything-about-the-nature-of-what-lies/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [Is man no more than this? Consider him well. Thou ow'st the worm no silk, the beast no hide, the sheep no wool, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/is-man-no-more-than-this-consider-him-well-thou-ow-st-the-worm-no/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [One cat just leads to another. The place is so damned big it doesn't really seem as though there were many cats until you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/one-cat-just-leads-to-another-the-place-is-so-damned-big-it-doesn-t/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [In the olden days in England, you could be hung for stealing a sheep or a loaf of bread. However, if a sheep stole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-harding/in-the-olden-days-in-england-you-could-be-hung-for-stealing-a-sheep/) [Mike Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-harding/) > [Kittens can happen to anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gallico/kittens-can-happen-to-anyone/) [Paul Gallico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gallico/) > [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“All right, you deadly little ghostlings,” I muttered. “Mama says go back to bed! - Cat”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/all-right-you-deadly-little-ghostlings-i-muttered-mama-says-go-back/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [Man wishes woman to be peaceable, but in fact she is essentially warlike, like the cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/man-wishes-woman-to-be-peaceable-but-in-fact-she-is-essentially/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [There are videos I used to take at home, pretending to be a newscaster, interviewing the teapot or my house cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-wagner/there-are-videos-i-used-to-take-at-home-pretending-to-be-a-newscaster/) [Alex Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-wagner/) [Browse all 2,996 Cat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cat/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The mistake that people made around 2000 with the emergence of the web was that they thought that people would not read long-form on a screen. 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