As mentioned in my previous post, I am reading Hypertext 3.0 for my grad course.  I’m a little behind in my reading because the text is fascinating to me so I don’t want to miss anything in my reading and because as a part-time grad student and a full-time employee, my plate overfloweth! 

In my somewhat slower pace of reading, I am absorbing a lot of the details and making connections with things that I already know, have read in this course, or want to try.  The wide margins of this book are filled with definitions of new words or words that I thought I knew the meaning of but don’t, notes to myself about possible usage for myself or others, and connections to previous readings and postings from classmates.  I am becoming accustomed to the idea of hypertext and linking, much more quickly than I thought possible.

Case in point:  While reading Chapter 5:  Reconfiguring Writing, the text directs the reader to “see figure 11″ (p. 202).  I look at the top of the page and the figure that is there is figure 24.  So I turn back a few pages and realize that figure 11 must be a great distance back in the text.  Though I want to see this figure so that I will know what Landow, the author, is discussing, what I want most is the ability to click on “see figure 11″ and to be instantly connected to that figure.  My reading habits have begun to change . . . have already changed, or is it my expectations in my reading?  Either way, I am metamorphosizing into a hypertext reader.  Now, I did revert to my usual method because once on a mission I can’t stop until I’ve achieved my goal, and I continued to thumb back through the text looking for figure 11.  It is on page 92 which is in Chapter 3.  And as is also my usual practice, I noted suggestions in the margins that would have made this process easier.  Since I learned that figures are consecutively numbered in a text, rather than refreshed with each chapter, I think that there should be a table of contents of figures and/or illustrations in the front of the text, as well as an index of figures.  In addition, I think that the page number could have been included when writing “see figure 11″. 

Overall, what is . . . scary . . . fascinating is the ease with which I am converting to hypertext usage.  I would never imagined the transition from a physical book to this electronic medium could have been so simple.  I love books.  I love the smell of new books.  I have an office full of books, at work and at home, and in other rooms throughout my house.  I spend an exorbitant amount of money on buying books each year.  It is my vice.  How can I make this transition so simply?  I know books will be around for quite some time, but if I a card-carrying book lover can make the change, what about those who just use books as a necessary evil?  Or is it my fascination with this technology plus my love of books that is making all ofthis possible?

I am sure I will reflect more on this in the days, weeks, and months to come!