Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Journal #7 - Megan Quinn



Hypertext is an inflated text, writing combined with a digital component. Unique to hypertext is its nonlinear approach to movement. A person can navigate a hypertext in any direction they see fit and still have the information coherently make sense. A story that stuck out from Hyperactive Hypertechs was how a student did not consider his blog to be writing in the sense of work composed in a classroom. This implies hypertexts are somehow less significant or acceptable. This stood out to me because it illustrates the limited scope of what is considered “real” or “good” writing. Hypertext, or digital writing, could be considered its own genre and accepted as a legitimate writing source. Although not at all Facebook or Tumblr posts are gold mines, people do write genuinely on social media sites and more weight should be given to their writing.

Different considerations for a hypertext have to be given depending on what type it is. News outlets are popular across the Internet and people often have their favorite sources they automatically go to, whether it be CNN, FOX, or BBC. However, thanks to social media, news articles are posted and shared across feeds and people click to read the stories without considering where they come from. At this moment, the reliable news sources are reporting on the dangers of fake news stories, in particular how they may have affected the presidential election. People need to learn not to trust everything they read on the Internet, as ridiculous as the idea sounds, because it can have harmful effects. One of Gallagher’s main points in his article was context. If readers give attention to context, it will raise their awareness of a hypertext and how its information should be taken.

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