{"id":2339,"date":"2015-07-28T14:31:50","date_gmt":"2015-07-28T21:31:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540summer15\/?p=2339"},"modified":"2015-07-29T11:42:00","modified_gmt":"2015-07-29T18:42:00","slug":"hypertext","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540summer15\/2015\/07\/28\/hypertext\/","title":{"rendered":"Xanadu, lost? Google as \u201cMemex\u201d?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The readings in this section were fascinating. Ted Nelson\u2019s philosophy for Xanalogical structure<\/a> on the World Wide Web provide a valuable historical context. As powerful as the web is, its visionaries had even bigger ideas.<\/p>\n

As I read, I considered how a male, western construct shaped hypertext. This set parameters through which we operate, excluding other cultural approaches to text and discourse. Large segments of the global community struggle with accessing the web; what feels \u2018natural\u2019 to one culture may not feel \u2018natural\u2019 in another.<\/p>\n

Hypertext is not an entirely original idea. Annotating text has precedent in ancient documents such as the Torah. In addition, anonymous influencers surely helped develop technologies; for all we know, Nelson\u2019s esteemed wife and partner may have played a great, unsung role in the shaping of hypertext. As is often the case, history leaves out many key players.<\/p>\n

It seems now that Nelson was left out as commercial interests dominated the web. I sympathize with Nelson\u2019s lamentations that the web could have created new forms of literature entirely (perhaps these are yet to come), but I was disappointed by his assertion that \u201cfonts and glitz, rather than content connective structure, prevail.\u201d<\/p>\n

Typography and visual elements are powerful communication tools. Aren\u2019t stories what this is all about? Divergent points of view could have ultimately helped Nelson achieve his vision, albeit perhaps in a different way. A more inclusive and cooperative strategy could have led to other discoveries and collaborations and may have afforded Nelson his ideology. As it stands today, transclusion has not caught on and some say it never will<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Alongside Nelson\u2019s vision, I took a great interest in the vision put forward by Vannevar Bush in \u201cAs We May Think<\/a>.\u201d The 1945 article superbly imagined a future of tools to realize hyper-mediated and hyper-textual environments, however distant a reality those may have been at the time. Consider:<\/p>\n

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