--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A great problem of the internet is how to…" description: "\"A great problem of the internet is how to filter information, how to discard what is not relevant or what is silly and to keep only the important infor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/674/umberto-eco-313_filters_a-great-problem-of-the-internet-is-how-t_2829951.jpg" --- # A great problem of the internet is how to filter… ![“A great problem of the internet is how to filter information, how to discard what is not relevant or what is silly and to keep only the important information.” quote by Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/674/umberto-eco-313_filters_a-great-problem-of-the-internet-is-how-t_2829951.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/674/umberto-eco-313_filters_a-great-problem-of-the-internet-is-how-t_2829951.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/674/umberto-eco-313_filters_a-great-problem-of-the-internet-is-how-t_2829951.jpg) > “A great problem of the internet is how to filter information, how to discard what is not relevant or what is silly and to keep only the important information.” [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) ## 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 overwhelms with data; we must filter out noise and retain essential, reliable information. **In simple terms:** Filter noise, keep valuable info. Key Takeaway Develop critical filtering habits. Themes information overload digital literacy truth filtering Mood analytical critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - research - news consumption - social media - academic study Key Concepts media studies critical thinking technology Questions to Reflect On - What criteria do you use to judge relevance? - How do you avoid echo chambers? A Different Perspective Filtering can be biased, missing unconventional insights. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Silly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silly/) ## Related quotes > [There is an overwhelming amount of information available to us all on the web each day, not to mention what is shared with us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mainwaring/there-is-an-overwhelming-amount-of-information-available-to-us-all-on/) [Simon Mainwaring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mainwaring/) > [The maps are really like a filter. They filter information for you to make better decisions on where you are going and what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/the-maps-are-really-like-a-filter-they-filter-information-for-you-to/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [The problem with the Internet is that it gives you everything - reliable material and crazy material. So the problem becomes, how do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/the-problem-with-the-internet-is-that-it-gives-you-everything/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [“In the Information Age, the first step to sanity is FILTERING. Filter the information: extract for knowledge. Filter first for substance. Filter second for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-stiegler/in-the-information-age-the-first-step-to-sanity-is-filtering-filter/) Marc Stiegler > [As human beings we have a tendency to filter out information that does not match up with our preconceived beliefs, including the supremacy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-gostick/as-human-beings-we-have-a-tendency-to-filter-out-information-that/) [Adrian Gostick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-gostick/) > [I have one major problem with the internet: It's full of liars. There doesn't seem to be any way to answer to people lying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-have-one-major-problem-with-the-internet-it-s-full-of-liars-there/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [The problem with the internet is that anyone can just make stuff up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/the-problem-with-the-internet-is-that-anyone-can-just-make-stuff-up/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [The problem with the internet and the way that we communicate on the internet is - I mean it's obvious to everybody - but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moshe-kasher/the-problem-with-the-internet-and-the-way-that-we-communicate-on-the/) [Moshe Kasher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moshe-kasher/) > [I have one major problem with the Internet: It's full of liars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/i-have-one-major-problem-with-the-internet-it-s-full-of-liars/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [I am not convinced that lack of encryption is the primary problem. The problem with the Internet is that it is meant for communications…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/i-am-not-convinced-that-lack-of-encryption-is-the-primary-problem-the/) [Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/) > [“If culture did not filter, it would be inane — as inane as the formless, boundless Internet is on its own. And if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/if-culture-did-not-filter-it-would-be-inane-as-inane-as-the-formless/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [The Internet gives us everything and forces us to filter it not by the workings of culture, but with our own brains. This risks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/the-internet-gives-us-everything-and-forces-us-to-filter-it-not-by/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [Between Twitter and Facebook I have nearly 70,000 followers, so my colleagues receive the responses. They show some of them to me, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-zille/between-twitter-and-facebook-i-have-nearly-70-000-followers-so-my/) [Helen Zille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-zille/) > [You don't filter smokestacks or water. Instead, you put the filter in your head and design the problem out of existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mcdonough/you-don-t-filter-smokestacks-or-water-instead-you-put-the-filter-in/) [William McDonough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mcdonough/) > [I can't build a simple shelf. I have no idea how to change an oil filter on a car. I can't even stick a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-can-t-build-a-simple-shelf-i-have-no-idea-how-to-change-an-oil/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## More by Umberto Eco > [I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. But later in life good poets burn their early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/i-think-that-at-a-certain-age-say-fifteen-or-sixteen-poetry-is-like/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [Followers of the occult believe in only what they already know, and in those things that confirm what they have already learned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/followers-of-the-occult-believe-in-only-what-they-already-know-and-in/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [“This has nothing to do with realism (even if it explains also realism). A completely real world can be constructed, in which asses fly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/this-has-nothing-to-do-with-realism-even-if-it-explains-also-realism/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [“…there’s nothing in this world that demands more caution than the truth. To tell the truth is like leeching one’s own heart...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/there-s-nothing-in-this-world-that-demands-more-caution-than-the/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [The book is like the spoon, scissors, the hammer, the wheel. Once invented, it cannot be improved. You cannot make a spoon that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/the-book-is-like-the-spoon-scissors-the-hammer-the-wheel-once/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [“No algorithm exists for the metaphor, nor can a metaphor be produced by means of a computer’s precise instructions, no matter what the volume…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/no-algorithm-exists-for-the-metaphor-nor-can-a-metaphor-be-produced/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [With all of its defects, the global market makes war less likely, even between the USA and China.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/with-all-of-its-defects-the-global-market-makes-war-less-likely-even/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [The Fundamental Principle that governs - or ought to govern -human affairs if we wish to avoid misunderstandings, conflicts, or pointless utopias, is negotiation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/the-fundamental-principle-that-governs-or-ought-to-govern-human/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [Any fact becomes important when it's connected to another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/any-fact-becomes-important-when-it-s-connected-to-another/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [American coffee can be a pale solution served at a temperature of 100 degrees centigrade in plastic thermos cups, usually obligatory in railroad stations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/american-coffee-can-be-a-pale-solution-served-at-a-temperature-of-100/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [Listening doesn't mean trying to understand. Anything, however trifling, may be of use one day. What matters is to know something that others don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/listening-doesn-t-mean-trying-to-understand-anything-however-trifling/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [They say that a cat, if it falls from a window and hits its nose, can lose its sense of smell and then, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/they-say-that-a-cat-if-it-falls-from-a-window-and-hits-its-nose-can/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [There are magic moments, involving great physical fatigue and intense motor excitement, that produce visions of people known in the past. As I learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/there-are-magic-moments-involving-great-physical-fatigue-and-intense/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [All poets write bad poetry. Bad poets publish them, good poets burn them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/all-poets-write-bad-poetry-bad-poets-publish-them-good-poets-burn-them/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [There are four kinds of people in this world: cretins, fools, morons, and lunatics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/there-are-four-kinds-of-people-in-this-world-cretins-fools-morons-and/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) [Explore all 600 Umberto Eco quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) ## More Filters quotes > [I can't build a simple shelf. I have no idea how to change an oil filter on a car. I can't even stick a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-can-t-build-a-simple-shelf-i-have-no-idea-how-to-change-an-oil/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [You don't filter smokestacks or water. Instead, you put the filter in your head and design the problem out of existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mcdonough/you-don-t-filter-smokestacks-or-water-instead-you-put-the-filter-in/) [William McDonough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mcdonough/) > [Between Twitter and Facebook I have nearly 70,000 followers, so my colleagues receive the responses. They show some of them to me, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-zille/between-twitter-and-facebook-i-have-nearly-70-000-followers-so-my/) [Helen Zille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-zille/) > [Further, in writing, I feel corrupt and unethical if I have to look up a subject in a library as part of the writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/further-in-writing-i-feel-corrupt-and-unethical-if-i-have-to-look-up/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [The beautiful thing about music is that even so-called negative emotions like anger, sadness, frustration, when they come through the filter of music, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiromi/the-beautiful-thing-about-music-is-that-even-so-called-negative/) [Hiromi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiromi/) > [The difference between a stranger sending you a message that you might be interested in at a very low volume level, no repetition, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/the-difference-between-a-stranger-sending-you-a-message-that-you/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Don't you understand that we need to be childish in order to understand? Only a child sees things with perfect clarity, because it hasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/don-t-you-understand-that-we-need-to-be-childish-in-order-to/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [It is impossible to estimate full influence of the reading of the Word in a home day after day and year after year. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-miller/it-is-impossible-to-estimate-full-influence-of-the-reading-of-the/) [J.R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-miller/) > [The whole educational and professional training system is a very elaborate filter, which just weeds out people who are too independent, and who think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-whole-educational-and-professional-training-system-is-a-very/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Groups become more extreme and entrenched in their beliefs and polarized from others when members only exchange information that reinforces their views and filter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-sunstein/groups-become-more-extreme-and-entrenched-in-their-beliefs-and/) [Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/) > [Eating liver out of a cow's body is like eating the filter out of a car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/eating-liver-out-of-a-cow-s-body-is-like-eating-the-filter-out-of-a/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [ But ripped out of context, \["Who am I to judge?" phrase\] has become an all-purpose filter through which everything else - including the pope's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-weigel/but-ripped-out-of-context-who-am-i-to-judge-phrase-has-become-an-all/) [George Weigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-weigel/) > [ Before, the myth of photography doesn't lie was used in order to cover up tricks. If I \[make a\] portrait \[of\] you, accommodate you,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-meyer/before-the-myth-of-photography-doesn-t-lie-was-used-in-order-to-cover/) [Pedro Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-meyer/) > [Scribbling things down is my therapy. I filter later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natascha-mcelhone/scribbling-things-down-is-my-therapy-i-filter-later/) [Natascha McElhone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natascha-mcelhone/) > [I try when I'm writing to fill my head and my ears with all sorts of stuff and then let it settle and filter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gabriel/i-try-when-i-m-writing-to-fill-my-head-and-my-ears-with-all-sorts-of/) [Peter Gabriel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gabriel/) Browse all 287 Filters quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A great problem of the internet is how to filter information, how to discard what is not relevant or what is silly and to keep only the important information.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Umberto Eco" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/a-great-problem-of-the-internet-is-how-to-filter-information-how-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Filters" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/a-great-problem-of-the-internet-is-how-to-filter-information-how-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/674/umberto-eco-313_filters_a-great-problem-of-the-internet-is-how-t_2829951.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/674/umberto-eco-313_filters_a-great-problem-of-the-internet-is-how-t_2829951.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/674/umberto-eco-313_filters_a-great-problem-of-the-internet-is-how-t_2829951.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A great problem of the internet is how to filter information, how to discard what is not relevant or what is…” — Umberto Eco", "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": "Umberto Eco", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A great problem of the internet...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/a-great-problem-of-the-internet-is-how-to-filter-information-how-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/a-great-problem-of-the-internet-is-how-to-filter-information-how-to/#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 } } ] } ```