Hypertext? What’s Hypertext? Is that like a hyperlink? I’m a bit of a Star Wars fan, is it like jumping to Hyper Space? But what is Hypertext? Theodor H. Nelson, the author of this reading, explains to me exactly what he means (quite scarily actually, as I asked the question to myself, the perfect answer appeared in the very next sentence).
Well, by “hypertext” I mean non-sequential writing – – text that branches and allows choices to the reader, best read at an interactive screen. As popularly conceived, this is a series of text chunks connected by links which offer the reader different pathways.
Unlike traditional text, hypertext is unrestricted by sequence, which helps to allow readers to follow and choose their interests or current line of thought in a way once considered impossible.
Seems like my Star Wars analogy wasn’t too far off after all. Hit it Chewie!
Of course, this reading was speculative; written pre- The World Wide Web.
Strange, how unbeknownst to myself, I had actually been aware of the concept of hypertext since at least the age of 12, when I was in Year 7, and before I became a regular internet user. I had to complete a project for the add-on English subject of Library, over the course of a term in which I had to create an electronic “Choose Your Own Adventure” type story. I remember being largely enthusiastic over the concept, and put much time and effort into the project (by the end of which my library teacher, who had to correct my tale, most likely now regretted). As our story progressed, the “end” of a page was left open-ended, the protagonist often in some sort of dilemma, underneath which I had given 2, sometimes 3 choices the reader could choose and click on, so that they may progress with the plot, or perhaps altogether end the story. The links that could be clicked on at the bottom of a page were what I now know as this “hypertext” Nelson speaks of, which I now have a much better understanding of.
I’ve included the only trace of my story I could find: my first submitted draft to my school librarian, who has marked it and placed the edits on the right of the page (which I cannot remove). Hope you enjoy (although, I wouldn’t hold my breath – I was only 12!).
Citation: Nelson, Theodor Holm. Literary Machines 91.1: The Report on, and of, Project Xanadu Concerning Word Processing, Electronic Publishing, Hypertext, Thinkertoys, Tomorrow’s Intellectual Revolution, And Certain Other Topics Including Knowledge, Education and Freedom. Sausalito: Mindful Press, 1992. Print.