Politexts, Hypertexts, and Other Cultural Formations in the Late Age of Print


Nancy Kaplan
Information Arts and Technologies
University of Baltimore

  
 

Recognized as a key resource by Links2Go, July 2000.
 

Recognized as thoughtful, effective, and innovative hypertext structure by the HY STRUCT Award, December 17, 1997.

E-Locution

  

I have twisted the language to contrive the title of this essay because I want to interrogate the future of literacy both its electronic formations (if indeed these differ from its pre-electronic ones) and its social origins and effects. Hence: I am using the unpronounceable locution e-literacies in two different ways:

  • first, to mean those reading and writing processes specific to electronic texts (by texts, I mean a whole range of digitally encoded materials -- words, sounds, pictures, video clips, simulations, etc.);

  • second, to signify elite-racies as in those socio-economic elites whose interests might be served by electronic literacies of one sort or another, or who might come to be elites by virtue of their ability to shape electronic literacies.


Some Notes

There are a number of ways to read this essay, none of which will exactly replicate the text of the talk I gave. Take chances with your choices.


A significant feature of hypertext environments is their capacity for inclusion: they want to construct vast and necessarily unfinished collages of documents to represent the knowledge (and the agon) of a discipline.

When I wrote this piece, no such boundless writing space existed. The WWW has begun to fulfill the hypertextual dream Ted Nelson has articulated for so long. But while we await its full flowering, I have created a simulacrum of a domain by offering extended passages from some of authors I cite. The current state of copyright law, however, precludes posting works in their entirety (and frankly, scanning or typing that much stuff would have been too tedious and time-consuming anyway).

To comply with the "fair use" provisions of the law, I have included less than 10% of any given work. As scholarly work migrates to the Web or whatever comes after, such ruses may no longer be necessary. We shall see.


New and Improved

The transposition from print to web inevitably involves translations of other print conventions, references to works cited, for example. In most cases, I cite works in the usual way -- with short in-text information linked to an entry on a list of works cited. Citations of those works on which this essay draws heavily are linked to an extended passages. Those citations are accompanied by this symbol -- Context.


Because this medium permits invented-as-we-go accomodations to the fluidity of hypertextual discourses, this essay evolves: new material appears from time to time. This section was written and posted on January 26, 1996, a year after the essay first appeared on the Web. It has been revised in September 1996.

Since this essay was first posted in January 1995, it has received many responses, at least one of which offers a considered critique. Because Professor Tuman gave me permission to post his remarks and provide a link to them from "E-Literacies," his text has now become another node in the network comprising this essay.

You will find a number of points of departure from "E-Literacies" to Professor Tuman's response. The route back is somewhat more constrained: to comply with his conditions, I have created only one return link. It will transport the reader back to this paragraph. Savvy hypertextual literates will know how to travel at will and to find their way back to the place from which they segued to Tuman's response, if they so desire.


Links Away

E-Literacies includes approximately 35 nodes and 180 links.

Others' Voices
Responses
uojesqkbrpn uojesqkbrpn


gazpyt gazpyt



  
This essay belongs to its readers as much as to its authors. Indeed, all texts have always done so. To make the gesture more than merely rhetorical, however, we must devise new interfaces. Consider this an experiment in the design of conversational spaces.

The links to the left of this paragraph lead to contributions by others. Feel free to add your own remarks, too.

This essay belongs to its readers as much as to its authors. Indeed, all texts have always done so. To make the gesture more than merely rhetorical, however, we must devise new interfaces. Consider this an experiment in the design of conversational spaces.

The links to the left of this paragraph lead to contributions by others. Feel free to add your own remarks, too.

I'm reaching for a new model of intellectual discussion, one that requires giving readers an opportunity to have their own say.

So here's your chance to chime in.

 
  

Credits

This hypertext
was conceived and



Nancy Kaplan
NAKaplan@ubmail.ubalt.edu

The version you are reading continues to grow and change. Please contribute to the discussion.



E-literacies: Politexts, Hypertexts and Other Cultural Formations in the Late Age of Print is an extended and restructured version of the keynote address for the Second Domains of Literacy Conference, the Institute of Education, University of London, September 1-3, 1994.

It was originally published in Computer Mediated Communications Magazine, March 1995.



Posted: January 24, 1995