Seven Hypermedia Concepts
When new media becomes old, or ways of understanding are updated, do we
immediately abandon old conceptions of our technological structures? An
aging conception of structure is a useful base on which to build. There
is value in any system, for both the reason that it looks to cover everything
and yet it precisely excludes worthy topics or considerations that cause
us to reevaluate its system. We have more experience with the World Wide
Web as an institution than we had in 1997; nevertheless Peter Gloor’s
model of hypermedia and WWW accounts for "everything" but the
specifics of cultural effects on technology. There is always a question
of whether pure technology or systems are useful. They are useful in that
they take responsibility for their exclusion—they act on their belief.
Yet part of our acceptance of any system requires that we maintain a critical
distance from it, and point out the things it excludes.
Lev Manovich has shown that theories of hypermedia have prioritized individual
explorers or viewers—and not like the street dweller of 19th century
Paris, the Flaneur, who interacted with crowds. Rather, the internet surfer
is alone in a universe of institutions—mute structures that are devoid
of immediate interactive feedback from the collective human communities
of different geographic regions.
Nevertheless, it is useful to account for internet exploration in terms
of the single user, as long as we are conscious of the faults of this model.
The following is a brief introduction to hypermedia concepts. But don’t
ever underestimate how real culture and people acting on their ideas can
disrupt this system and create novel ideas that are much more qualitative
and organic than this systematic survey of "technology in itself".
1. Linking: The use of embedded markers in hypermedia documents
is called Linking , according to Gloor. There is static linking----hardwired
into hypertext documents, such as the <a href> link. Alternatively,
we theoretically have dynamic links- links computed according to user needs.
With dynamic links, the user selects a section of text and then is brought
to documents that match its content.
2. Searching: Searching is basically a way of creating
dynamic linking: the user chooses a word, that is then queried across the
web. In turn the search engine brings documents to the user that match the
interactively chosen word or phrase.
Many servers use WAIS-- Wide Area Information Server. It was marketed and
purchased by AOL. It involves a full text search, which the single user
can be said to be doing "content navigation". Since Gloor, we
can search for images and news instead of just preset web pages
3: Sequentializing
Two problems prompt sequential hypertext: user disorientation--getting lost
and cognitive overload--too much information. The web being generally non-sequential
as an artifact with webs of connections, in use by an agent, lends order
to a primarily associative matrix. When we create hypertext links, we are
associating auxiliary information, independent of our host document’s
argument, in order to give a background to players and information elements
in our argument. Yet in order to not purely associatively browse information,
we can take a task based approach with specific information goals.
Some solutions are guided tours, which may or may not be done by a character
or mascot or more intelligent agents, and scripted paths: sequential paths
branching paths (selection of links) and conditional paths
4. Hierarchy
Hierarchical structure must be planned and must be constructed with a given
hierarchical document, according to Gloor. Some systems can impose hierarchical
structure, but are not yet principally implemented, or desired to be.
Hierarchy on the web is more useful as a way of categorizing topics. The
ways of defining tree structures, should reflect definitions of classes
and objects. An object is an element or aspect of a simulation that parallels
the actual world. Based upon relationships to other objects in its sister
world, the simulated object is organized as a type or class.
5. Similarity: Similarity is related to hierarchy and classes.
The hierarchy results from similar characteristics of objects in a simulation.
An example of a class is "Living Things", with various subclasses.
Living things
Mammals intelligent systems
Animals people AI
6. Mapping: Mapping is a graphical form of cyberspace.
There are global and local maps, such as navigation bars on every page that
contain links to the entire site—and site maps.
A fish-eye map magnifies the areas of information based upon the distance
from the viewer and the relative importance of the information to that viewer.
The degree of interest can be plotted in relation to focus or main point
such as y.
7. Guides and Agents
From the human metaphor to organize come guides and agents. An autonomous
element with intelligence is agent, whereas guides are characters that provide
an index and are storytelling elements
Agents learn based upon user decisions and modify the information space.
Intelligent agents are programs that accomplish a task Autonomous agents
travel between sites deciding what to do. User-agents: modify tasks
organize email etc.
Gloor Remarks that mapping, and agents and guides can be used with the other
five techniques.
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