Hypertext

One of the most positive features of hypertext is the variety of ways to present information. The more creative and interactive the website, the more time readers will spend on the site, reading, commenting, and clicking on different links to learn more. Presentation is important. In discussions about hypertext vs. print text in our class, many have commented on the very short attention span, not only of children, but of adults. If a website does not appeal quickly to readers' senses, they may move on without checking out the site.

We addressed the Role of Hypertext in the Rhetorical Analysis assignment with two political candidates. We were to elaborate whether the hypertext devices made the reader more or less likely to accept the author’s message. There was quite a difference in the websites of the two political candidates I wrote about. One, Carly Fiorina's website was a very interactive website that contained numerous personal videos, information regarding issues, her blog, and contact information. The way Fiorina has the presentation of her website set up compels me to click on a few of her links so I can read more about her and her political views. On the other hand, Barbara Boxer's website is a bit old-school; dull colors on the home page and not very interactive. There is not much about her website that draws me in as a reader; my interest level is not very high with Boxer's website. So in the area of politics, if politicians want to secure voters, presentation of information on their websites is critical.

As I design my website, I have kept in mind that readers decide within a couple seconds if they will stay on a website or click again and venture somewhere else in cyberspace. Recently I have added a scrolling marquee, a column that has a little “blurb” about me, and more color and links. I made sure there was not too much information on this “first impression” homepage (not overcrowded), so it would encourage the reader to click on one of the links on my homepage so they can learn more about me.

Along the same line, I think readers who have ADHD would actually be more of a fan of hypertext versus the print text. One of the characteristics of ADHD [1] is a short attention span; thus these readers would enjoy clicking from site to site. Reading text this way would be very appealing versus sitting down and reading a print text from top to bottom, left to right. Friends and family who I know that have ADHD find it hard to read very long before their minds begin to wander. The interactive features, along with the shorter articles and material on-line, make it easier for readers with ADHD to comprehend what they read (versus books.)

A couple authors have also noted how hypertext can become a “friend” to those with a short attention span. For example, talk show host Dennis Miller was the first to articulate why we need hypertext engineering: "Most people have the attention span of a ferret on two cappuccinos." The article, Reachability and the Short Attention Span [2], stressed the importance of reliability and having information within "a couple of mouse clicks away." Gershom says, "Everything has to be in my face in a flash or I'm outa here!" This is currently the mindset of our society. Instant gratification, instant access to information, instant communication, instant results ... the list goes on and on. Think back to when the only way we could access the internet was through "dial up," and how frustrating it was at first because it was slow and/or you got "kicked" off of the internet. Once we got a "taste" of the internet, we wanted to be able to access it FAST [3] and locate information; within a couple of mouse clicks away, as the article said.

Carl Tashian notes in the article, Will Computers Replace Books?[4], "Catering to America’s short attention span, an extensive hypertext document allows the reader to read in a stream-of-consciousness style, with complete control over the topic.”

About.com [5] notes that the definition of "stream-of-conscious" is characterized by a flow of thoughts and images, which may not always appear to have a coherent structure or cohesion. The plot line may weave in and out of time and place, carrying the reader through the life span of a character or further along a timeline to incorporate the lives (and thoughts) of characters from other time periods. Writers who create stream-of-consciousness works of literature focus on the emotional and psychological processes that are taking place in the minds of one or more characters." Hypertext reading would be well-received by readers who have short attention spans because of the lack of coherent structure and the twists and turns, or the "weaving in and out" of information and story.

As we have discussed in class, there is no beginning or end to hypertext. Hypertext has no center or margin and no inside or outside. George Landow in Hypertext 3.0 (page 56) says, "As readers move through a web or network of texts, they continually shift the center - and hence the focus or organizing principle - of their investigation and experience." That can be quite unsettling for some readers who like to have organization when they read; for others it can be an exhilarating experience! Hypertext inclines to blur the boundaries [6] and thus, the presentation of hypertext is not always concrete. Hypertext can always be changing and can even disappear (ex. broken links.) Dead or broken links [7] can be very frustrating to the reader of hypertext. "In a 2003 experiment, Fetterly et al. (2003) discovered that about one link out of every 200 disappeared each week from the internet." When a reader stumbles on a dead link, it can lead readers to go elsewhere to find information they need. Keeping hypertext up-to-date is critical for the presentation of information. Authors need to periodically check links on their website or use a Broken Link Checker [8] to make sure the presentation of information is current.

For more information about hypertext and the lack of boundaries, click here.[9]

Landow comments later on page 87 in Hypertext 3.0 about the importance of the presentation of information with hypertext, noting that "people point to ugly websites and blogs." Again, hypertext needs to capture the reader's attention quickly. Once that happens, the goal is then to engage the reader.

As Robert M. Fowler states on his website [10] “Hypertext is not just words. Since it operates on digital electronic computers, hypertext can include anything that can be digitized electronically: scanned images (including color photographs), stereo sound, video, and animation.” These are excellent hypertext tools to engage the reader.

By using these tools to present information, readers will be drawn in. This is a big difference from codex. Codex offers reading text and possibly pictures. Hypertext offers so much more to help engage the reader. This is what the author desires too - to draw the reader in and keep them on their site. Our society has become digitalized obsessed. Even in our struggling economy, video games [11] are on a rise. People love interactive play on the web, so the more a website utilizes these types of tools for their website's presentation, the more readers will spend time on the site.

Paul McFedries in Creating a Web Page & Blog wrote a whole chapter on "From Buck-Naked to Beautiful: Dressing Up Your Page or Blog" about designing an eye-catching website. In Chapter 15, he referred to a great website as "Eye Candy" in an HTML store! He stressed the importance of web wanderers, asking if they stumble onto your web page, will they scream "Yuck!" or decide to stay for awhile. Presentation is critical with hypertext if authors wants readers to stay for awhile and read what they have to say.

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