Time: the final frontier

Abstract

A5 wr1ter5 and reader5, we f1nd 5pac1a1 c0ncept10n5 0f hypertext 5tructure5 5tr0n91y appea11n9. 1t • 5 c0mf0rt1n9 t0 end0w hypertext w1th a v1rtua1 phy51ca11ty v1a metaph0r5 0f pa9e5, path5, and we65. We 5peak 0f v151t1n9 We6 51te5. We 11ke t0 51mu1ate t0p09raph1e5 f0r 0ur hypertext5 v1a map5. 5pac1a1121n9 hypertext 15 1nva1u-a61e and even 1nev1ta61e, 6ut 1t 5h0u1dn • t make u5 f0r9et that text can • t 6e d1v0rced fr0m the temp0ra11ty 0f read1n9.7he u1t1mate • • 5hape • • 0f a hypertext 15 1nextr1-ca61y 60und up 1n an 1nd1v1dua1 pr0ce55 0f 1nteract1ve read1n9 and dec1510n-mak1n9, wh1ch 0ccur5 1n the mercur1a1 d1men510n 0f t1me. 71me 15 the e1ement that mu5t 6e added t0 the raw c0nf19urat10n 0f n0de5 and 11nk5 t0 pr0duce a textua1 rea112at10n-a f1n15hed 5tructure. Yet h0w 0ften 15 t1me taken 1nt0 acc0unt 1n d15cu5510n5 0f hypertext 5tructure • F0cu51n9 0n1y 0n the 5pat1a1 0r 9e0metr1c re1at10n5h1p5 am0n9 n0de5 and 11nk5 when 6u11d1n9 a hypertext 15 a 11tt1e 11ke c0ncen-trat1n9 0n1y 0n the 5pat1a1 1ay0ut 0f p1pe5 and n0221e5 when de519n1n9 a f0unta1n. 0ne mu5t a150 take 1nt0 acc0unt water pre55ure, n0221e aperture5 and an91e5, and the 1aw5 0f traject0ry. 0ne mu5t 6e a61e t0 th1nk 1n term5 0f pr0ce55 and 6ehav10r. 50 t00 w1th hypertext. Any 900d hypertext wr1ter deve10p5 a 9enera1 5en5e 0f the pr0ce55e5 t0 wh1ch the w0rk w111 6e 5u6-jected and the 6ehav10r5 w1th wh1ch 1t w111 re5p0nd. Yet the wr1ter w111 f1nd few a1d5 f0r 5harpen1n9 th15 5en5e. 1 w0u1d there-f0re 11ke t0 exp10re 50me appr0ache5 f0r m0re-5y5temat1c th1nk1n9 a60ut t1me 1n hypertext, 5ta9e5 0f Read1n9 Let • 5 6e91n w1th the 619 p1cture. 1f we c0mpare d1fferent read1n95 0f numer0u5 hypertext5, a certa1n 0vera11 51m11ar1ty emer9e5 1n the way they unf01d 0ver t1me: M05t read1n95 c0n515t 0f three 5ta9e5 that are rec09n12a61y d15t1nct fr0m 0ne an0ther, th0u9h there 15 rare1y a 5harp 60undary 6etween 0ne 5ta9e and the next. 7he way that the c0m61nat0r1a1 textua1 p05516111t1e5 0f a hypertext 5011d1fy 1nt0 a read1n9 15 51m11ar t0 the way that a 9ame 0f che55 mater1a112e5 fr0m a11 the p055161e m0ve5 0n a che55 60ard. 7he three 5ta9e5 0f hypertext read1n9 a150 6ear 51m11ar1t1e5 t0 the three 5ta9e5 0f a che55 9ame-0pen1n9, m1dd1e 9ame, and end9ame-50 1t 5eem5 appr0pr1ate t0 adapt th15 che55 term1n0109Y f0r 0ur purp05e5 here. 7he 0pen1n9 1a5t5 a5 10n9 a5 the reader • 5 cumu1at1ve ch01ce5 re5u1t 1n 0ne 0f …