Hypertexts are open systems. A hypertext can be updated and edited cheaply and indefinitely. Users can make their own additions to a hypertext. Indeed, as noted above, there are few limits to the amount of linked and or included material that can be included in a hypertext. Yet creating a hypertext document is not easy.
Hypertexts are extremely labor-intensive.
Far fewer people know how to use hypertexts than know how to read. Then there are the technical limits of the medium. For example, there is often a conflict between readability and usability. The fewer links or interruptions a text has, the easier it is to read. Increasing links and interruptions may add functionality to a document, but decrease its readability.