Hypertext and Hypermedia
The resource is published but not ready. The original texts by: A. Botero & T. Leinonen
Hyperland 1990
Hyperland is a BBC's "fantasy documentary" from 1990. The film was written by Douglas Adams. In the film Douglas Adams examines the wonders of hypertext and hypermedia with a software agent played by Tom Baker. Vannevar Bush, Douglas Engelbart, Ted Nelson and several others are presented.
Hyperland 1 of 5 - More here
What is Hypertext and Hypermedia?
We may define hypertext as a text in electronic format making it possible to overcome the limits and bounds of traditional written text on paper. In its simplicity it means that in digital format we may make links into the text (words, sentences) that lead to other pieces of information.
One may argue that in printed text there has always been 'links' such as list of content, indexes, list of references and so one. Right. The difference is that in hypertext, where links are embedded to the text, you may move from one association to another as you read the text. With hypertext, reading comes more a process of "browsing" a text, than traditional linear reading from start to end.
In 1940's an american engineer Vannevar Bush, intorduced the concept of Memex, a device of the future scientist with all books, records and communication integreated to one table. The vision of the Memex was to make the previous collected human knowledge more accessible add secondly to make the scientists work more efficient. The idea of the Memex was presented in Vannevar Bush's 1945 The Atlantic Monthly article "As We May Think".
Memex was thought to be a microfilm-based device with cameras and electromechanical control. The rise of the computer technology made people to think what if the Memex could be implemented in a computer. In the 1960's visionaries, such as Ted Nelson thought that one day with computers we could link all meaningful information to each other, and in this way create a web of all human knowledge and wisdom. His model involved - amongst many other things - the following components: Single sources of documents, sophisticated quoting of source documents, and a royalty scheme to allow both original sources and subsequent collectors/linkers of information to profit from the use of valued information.
Form the late 1960 to today Ted Nelson's main projects has been to developed a software framework that makes possible rich hypertext structures. The system was named to be the Xanadu.
Media and New Media
The hypertext and hypermedia form is one of the most crucial characterizes of New Media.
This section is not ready ... needs more content about the hypertext/-media from the prespective of the media becoming a "shared space" of content and not a broadcast media.
"Watching" / consuming media - non-interactive way.
The issue of copyrights could be discussed in this section too. At least links.
Participatingn in media - interactive way.
