The line is credited to Berners-Lee’s 14 September 2008 Knight Foundation speech. Wikiquote supplies a specific source, but its original transcript was inaccessible in this check.
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In context
Evoking the world of Tim Berners-Lee — Inventor of the World Wide Web. Theme: "The Web does not just connect machines, it connects people". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
Minimalist
Minimalist editorial slide for the quote "The Web does not just connect machines, it connects people". Clean background, a single muted accent color, generous negative space, subtle paper or linen texture, no literal illustration — let the words carry it. Reserve clear space for a serif quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
Provenance
The source
Work
Speech before the Knight Foundation
Publication
14 September 2008
Location
Wikiquote sourced entry identifying the Knight Foundation speech.
it connects people
A brief literal excerpt from the fetched source; the explanation above identifies the full passage and its context.
Speech before the Knight Foundation ↗ The sourced Wikiquote entry prints the exact sentence and names the speech and date. The linked Web Foundation transcript timed out, so the original could not be independently checked.
The words are checked in their source context; this establishes the quoted passage, without claiming that no earlier similar idea exists.
The identified source is a publication from 1931 or later. The passage is treated as in copyright; only a brief source excerpt is reproduced here.
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Context
Why it mattered
The sentence expresses a social account of the Web: technical connections matter because people use them to communicate. The record preserves the speech attribution while distinguishing it from a fresh check of the original transcript.
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Filed under
More provenance-checked quotes on the same theme, each with its reuse status.
Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web and founded the World Wide Web Consortium. His accounts of the Web emphasize cooperation, open standards and universal access.
For writers & researchers
Cite this
The primary source (Chicago)
Tim Berners-Lee. Speech before the Knight Foundation. 14 September 2008. Wikiquote sourced entry identifying the Knight Foundation speech.. Consulted via the linked source.
This verification page
Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘The Web does not just connect machines, it connects people’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/the-web-does-not-just-connect-machines-it-connects-people/