What is a hypertext? If you ask Google for a definition, you get over a million websites that define hypertext. Some of these links are obviously geared more towards the extreme techno-enthusiasts we’ve been discussing in class and others are geared towards more basic explanations. So here, I will attempt to make sense of what exactly a hypertext is in relation to our area of study.

Hypertext, in simple terms is the ability to create an electronic text that links to other works on the world wide web that support what the author says or aids the reader in further comprehending the text.

But this definition is too simple since readers and authors both interpret hypertext in different ways. As an author, I may feel that to fully understand the concept of hypertext a reader needs to begin with a background to hypertext. I may also feel that my reader needs to have an interactive hypertext to work with, so I could include a hypertext link with other accessible hypertexts for the reader to fully interact with. At this point, feeling that the reader has the references to comprehend the remainder of my definition, I could return to the definition and reach a quick conclusion. Therefore, as an author, my definition would look something like this:

From its origins in the late 1960s, hypertext has continued to grow as a means of allowing readers to enhance the reading of texts online with links within the text itself or to outside sources. As technology advances, the definition of hypertext alters as its uses alter.

As a reader, the definition may emerge into this one as you continue to click links:

From its origins in the late 1960s, hypertext has continued to grow as a means of allowing readers to enhance the reading of texts online with links within the text itself or to outside sources. As technology advances, the definition of hypertext alters as its uses alter. This is advantageous to the reader who can decide they want to know more about the author’s process,the idea of hypertext on the web, or even the writer’s comments that the author of the definition does not include.