In this week’s readings by George Landow, I was introduced to the term and concept of ‘hypertext’. Hypertext basically just refers to links you have on a blog or website that refer to any other online content. In this way, all (or nearly all) of online content is linked and created on giant web/network. Even if we don’t ‘link’ our work to other online content, it becomes searchable through search engines like google.
Confused? Me too, but I think it’s easier than it sounds.
For example, >this is hypertext<. It’s linking to another site.
George Landow was a smart man and once said:
The concepts of beginning and ending imply linearity. What happens to them in a form of textuality not governed by linearity? (110)
In my future career as an online content producer, the concept of linear text/narrative won’t be relevant. With online text, all writings are lateral. The use of hypertext allows one to jump from post to post, choosing exactly what they want to explore.
Therefore, when creating online content in the future, I’ll have to think about how I can link to other works to make it more relevant, and how to get other sites to link to me. This in turn will ensure that I get more ‘hits’.
Remember those pick a path stories we used to read as kids? Surfing the internet is just like that, but on an infinitely bigger scale.
Just like the internet!
Extracts from: Landow, George P. Hypertext 3.0: Critical Theory and New Media in an Era of Globalization. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 2006. Print. (low rez PDF)
