He claims it trivializes his original idea. Xanadu would not only have links on certain words, but a quoted passage from another work would automatically link to the original document. Now that hypertext is part of most computer users reality, it s advantages and disadvantages have come under scrutiny. While there are two sides to every debate, the debate surrounding hypertext is particularly polarized. In literature the debate continues to polarize.
Some people see it as an exciting new genre for both the reader and the writer.
Others, like Laura Miller, see little benefit for the reader. While that is certainly true when reading some hypertexts, each hypertext must be evaluated on its own. In my own very limited reading of literary hypertext I have found both pieces that bored me with linear, poorly written stories, and pieces that made me smile with their eloquence and inventive use of hyperlinks. Travis suggests that hypertext is particularly appealing to readers who have formed their tastes in this current age of sound bites, video clips, interactive video games, and shorter attention spans. This MTV generation enjoys assuming some of the power and responsibility that had previously belonged only to the writer.