VSoliz Journal #7

Hypertexts are unique to digital media and have transformed how we read online text. An author can add a hypertext to send the reader to a different online source that provides more information, usually opening the supplemental source in a different web tab. The purpose of a hypertext is to make connections, Neal contends, “connections are the key, and hypertext provides a means - though not exclusively - to represent those relationships.” (81) A very popular example of a website using hypertexts is Wikipedia. They are known for using hypertexts when defining something because it allows the website to be easier read, and leads the reader into discovering more information. Many online news sources use hypertexts as well, including BBC and Huffington Post.

              Hypertexts are used solely in digital media. Whereas print authors must define and describe terms, events, etc. so the reader knows what they are talking about, a digital author can state something that links to a hypertext that will properly define it, and then move on in their own text. Hypertexts are very convenient in this way. Hypertexts are great for marketing because they lead readers to new authors and new websites that they would not have discovered without being linked to via hypertext. Personally, I have discovered many wonderful online news sources and blogs that I keep up with because of hypertexts.

              When composing a hypertext, there are many considerations to make. Does the hypertext link to audio, and therefore require the reader to have accessible headphones? Hypertexting to audio files and videos are very popular because they offer an alternative to reading another online article, BBC online is one news source that does this frequently. When the author is including a hypertext, they assume the reader will have access to the link. The author must consider, does the hypertext link to a website that requires a login or monetary subscription? If so, the author is better off including the information they wanted to hypertext to in their own text to prevent their readers from being annoyed, and possibly clueless for the duration of their text. Fact-checking is a huge factor when it comes to hypertexts. For the author to be credible and to gain more attention, they must hypertext to factually accurate sources. It is very frustrating to click a hypertext that leads to a wildly inaccurate source, then having to research the truth for accurate understanding. If I am reading an article that has an inaccurate hyperlink, I close the entire article because why would I trust the remainder of it if they can’t even use honest sources? An author must be careful to update their hypertexts because sometimes urls change or a website has lost funding and can no longer run, resulting in a nonexistent webpage a hypertext has linked to. Hypertexts can also be dangerous if they lead to a website that downloads a malicious virus onto a person’s computer. I have been victim of this a couple times, and it is up to the reader to use good judgment on if a hypertext is safe or not.