Could hypertext be a substitute for referencing?

This is a question posed by one of the Thursday Networked Media tutorials. I think that if in the future if we no longer have to submit hard-copies of essays, we should most certainly be able to use hypertext to link out to our references and sources, as opposed to going through the Harvard referencing practice that everybody dreads. The main points of referencing are to a) credit the author and b) provide access for those interested in sourcing the reference material used. Hypertext solves this issue providing a more convenient option for both the writer and the reader. It also encourages people to read more, as the link is right there to access and doesn’t require using countless databases and e-libraries to find it.