“what if you had a book that changed every time you read it?” – michael joyce (1991)

as the dramatic creatures we are, we often proclaim “oh, i hate everyone, i just want to be alone, i never want to speak to anyone ever again, etc.” (or at least i do…), but the fact of the matter is, we are built to breed of human and social interaction. it’s how we grow as people and learn. it’s a connective tool that has done wonders for people everywhere. i mean, just look at justin bieber. he’s, like, so successful and talented and famous. and he was found all through the youtube. this social interaction, while not face to face, hurled him into a whirlwind of fame and bad decisions, and we can only hope he’ll soon learn and grow and mature. and that will have to be from social interaction. the reading from this week was super interesting as it discussed the differences between the book and hypertext, and how the world is leaning on the internet as a crutch for literally everything (including really strange, weird and hilarious google searches).

as adrian states at least 7 times a minute, the web does not have edges and doesn’t have a set ending. where does it end? it doesn’t. so what if there was a book that changed like that. like those ones we had as a child where you choose your own adventure and ending? it would be super interesting to see books take the place of the web, but ultimately dysfunctional.

hypertext can be described as not only highly refined and is highly functional and versatile, but the way of the future. in 10 years from now, hell, even in a year from now, readers will interpret what’s on the screens now in a completely different way to how we are in this present moment. we’re in a constant transition between network literacy and print literacy that is leaning more and more towards the former with each second that passes. i mean, who can remember the last time they used books for a big essay instead of the internet? even when your old, crotchety teacher, who is against the modernisation of society, told you to? i can’t, that’s for sure. so, apparently, the go with technology these days is out with the old (books) and in with the new (hypertext).