Definitions of Hypertext

Noah Wardrip-Fruin has written a short paper for the ACM Hypertext Conference. It approaches the question, “What Is Hypertext,” and the approach is an interesting one.

He defines the term “hypertext” “as a term coined by a 20th Century thinker ” and it is in this way similar to “natural selection” or “communism.” It follows, then, that the definition of hypertext that is given in this paper is derived very much from the work of Theodore Nelson, who first used the term.

That begs a question, though, about whether or not you get to be the last word on a subject just because you named it. Oh well.

What is really of interest, to this reader, is the emphasis on hypertext as a “responding resource” From Nelson’s work we have:

systems of prearranged words and pictures (for example) which may be explored freely or queried in stylized ways. They will not be “programmed,” but rather designed, written, drawn and edited, by authors, artists, designers and editors.

From my own personal experience with hypertext, I think that there is still a very log way to go before we really have that free exploration, etc. These things, these hypertexts, they ARE programmed. The design, the arrangements, these things are endless possibilities, but until the whole process can be made as simple as basic writing, or drawing, or speaking, then the dynamic qualities of our natural media will be preferred.

Still, this definition is a good one, if for no other reason that it hints at where to go next.