I would argue that the one of the key features behind a hypertext (at least for someone who has spent as much time with digital media as I have) is that it doesn’t require a lot of considerations and is designed with the computer person’s consciousness in mind. A hypertext might not even need to be “read” in a linear fashion like most other forms of writing do, because it addresses the reader on several different fronts at once. While books and other texts linked to the world of academia often require a large amount of context to be understood to some capacity. Gallagher addresses this in his discussion about interfaces, arguing that the UI of a website is capable of at least partially delivering the context necessary to comprehend a hypertext. An interface suggests the circumstances surrounding the hypertext subconsciously, so that users can easily differentiate between a news article and someone’s opinionated blog post (although the line has been blurring more and more lately).
One thing that I think is always considered, regardless of what the interface suggests, is the author. It’s very easy to parody or even make fake versions of anything with an interface. People used to be fooled by articles from The Onion and it was hilarious to watch the commenters getting stirred up like a bee’s nest built inside an A/C unit. Slowly, people (even the so-called tech-illiterate ones) learned to check the URL below the article title and these embarrassing began to disappear. When someone doesn’t know the genuine author of a hypertext, they let their emotions (read: confirmation bias) determine whether they believe it or not. This is where Wikipedia adds digital ethos to its format, by using citations and hyperlinks to additional readings in order to build trust between the nonprofit site and online readers.
This “interface trust” we develop can be turned against us still, even if we keep adapting to the new digital environment. The most malicious malware sites will steal the UI of the Windows Explorer software, then modify it to make users think their whole filesystem is loaded with viruses. The only way to fix it, according to what victims believe is the authoritative voice of the Windows operating system, is to install their protective software to remove the “viruses.” This can all be avoided if the reader gets a general idea of who the real author is for this kind of hypertext, but sometimes the UI answers the question before we get to ask it. Then you’re stuck trying to get that Nigerian prince to send over your cut of the funds, since you so graciously gave him your SSN to make the transfer as easy as possible. :(
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