Nonlinear Structures and How They Promote Active Reading

Landow argued that the lack of linearity in hypertext does not make it more complex or difficult to navigate through. His theories represent how hypertext is a different animal. He describes how the functions are different and not necessarily inferior or comparable on terms of difficulty. I found this highly interesting so for this blog post I would like to analyze how the nonlinear characteristics of hypertext affect the transform the experience for the reader.

Hypertext is nonlinear due to its structure. The inter-webbed texts create a network. I think one of the most blatant characteristics of this is that it allows a reader to choose how deep they would like to go into a text. In many ways it makes the text read almost as a 'Choose your Own Adventure' book. The audience can choose to go to the other sources to get a better understanding on the content; or they can merely read the initial text as an isolated piece. This is interesting because this represents how some readers can force linearity in a system that repels it. Hypertext strives to provide a network; to provide layers to the text that bring it collaborative meaning.

The more active a reader is; the more likely they are to dive deeper into the passages. Non-linear texts come with certain expectations. When a reader comes in contact with a nonlinear piece; they assume control. The reader feels in charge of their academic experience. When readers come into linear texts they expect everything they need to know to be presented to them. Readers tend to be more passive when reading linear texts; while non-linear texts encourage readers to be an active reader. The reader understands that they play a crucial role in deconstructing the information and drawing meaning. This is the biggest difference between how hypertexts are received in comparison to traditional methods.