April 10, 2008

Mariann Daniel
Electronic Word

The hypertext article, “Patterens of Hypertext” explains the the reader different types of patterns that the readers web site can take. I learned about these cycles’ names, such as the Cycle, Joyce cycles, Douglas cycles, a web ring, and a contour. Reading about these patterns allow me to see how I may structure my site that can take a fictional essay and split it in various ways. Within the Counterpoint, I learned that it is a type of cycle that made up of many small linear cycles. The Mirror world is two stories from different points of view, however the storyline is the same. This is probably the form that I will use for my fiction site if I decide to do that. I doubt that I would use a tangle because that would confuse my reader as it would me, about point and what happens. It is possible that I would use a sieve because I have a different thought about what I want to do for this topic that requires the reader to choose what types of books they read. I was thinking of doing something called My Bookself that lets people look through books I’ve read and my reviews about them, but it would require the person to say what type of books they would like. I would probably puts links to other sites that are simular or to author websites, thus creating a neighborhood.

The article, “Hypertext Narrative and Baseball”, did not help me understand anything. I liked “Patterens of Hypertext” a lot more. This is because I do not watch, nor to I play baseball, therefore the anology did not help me at all.

In the article “Beyond Usability and Design: The Narrative Web”, the author, Mark Berstein, compares the layout and context of a web page to a story or play. It allows one to understand that instead of telling someone what the site is going to do or what it is suppose to look like, the creator should show it. If the site is shown how the creator wants it, then there should be no reason to have to explain it. The article also allows me to understand that it is not always better to interact with my reader as much as I would have liked. This, while being compared to a slimy car salesman, is an interesting point that I had not previously have that would have alienated my reader rather than drawing him/her in. I learned how important a splash page really is. It can be compared to first a first impression. The web page is making its first impression to the reader by allowing the reader so see via splash page if this is going to be a funner site, a more professional site, or what the site’s context is as a whole.

In the end, the first and third article did help me a lot. I now know the options available to me through linking and orginizing. That should help create a more interactive and compelling web page.