The role of HTML within this course is not to let you become de facto designers but is to introduce Web based writing as an academic literacy. To begin to explore new forms for the expression of knowledge, forms that treat the network as the place of writing, not just publication, and ways that look less to the history of print and more towards the new forms of ‘writing’ that will emerge as a result of these new technologies (the Web, blogs, facebook, twitter, networked and integrated media). Imagine if the Web was the original place for writing what you know, rather than the page. What would your writing become?
What has been the easiest aspects of the hypertext essay task for you, in relation to previous skills and knowledge that you already had?
The easiest aspect of the Hypertext Essay so far has been translating my own ideas from the Annotated Bibliography task into the essay. I focused on the Landow extract, I felt that the knowledge I gained from such a close study of his ideas enabled me not only to translate the actual words into the essay, but the concepts he foregrounds and proposes in terms of Hypertext and it’s affordances and effects on the way we read and write online. Miek’s lecture on web design really helped with the nuts and bolts of website design and the importance of creating an experience for viewers. The lecture was really helpful as it provided me with theoretical knowledge in an ordered way. The Adrian Miles Lecture really complemented Miek’s and helped in providing me with conceptual knowledge of how to apply the theories of Hypertext to the design of Websites, and how we can use design elements to impart new ideas, confront viewers and enrich our own writing.
What has been the most difficult aspects of this hypertext essay task?
The most difficult aspect of the assignment for me has without a doubt been learning the new and confronting language of coding. I had no previous knowledge of HTML and although I do find it rewarding, it’s not a medium I feel compelled to pursue after this course. It was also difficult to come up with an initial layout/pathway that made for compelling/unconventional but logical navigation. Within our group we struggled to find cohesion and as a result I don’t think our assignment has a strong sense of presence, I think it’s quite disjointed and sketchy.
What connections can you make between the hypertext essay task and the broader focus of the course on learning to read and write in the network, in regards to working in media/communication professions?
I think this task is completely an embodiment of industry we all hope to enter, having an online presence is imperative to becoming an artist in the creative landscape of today. The hypertext essay teaches us to go beyond expressing ourselves merely through text but via conventions of web design and pushes us to bring new textures, mediums and voices into our work. Everything is about not what you want to communicate but how you communicate it in a fresh and innovative way, and this task has definitely pushed us to question how we can use the online space as a forum to trial new ideas and concepts. In terms of skills which are marketable in the industry, being able to maintain an online presence in the form of a website/blog makes us increasingly employable both online and offline. Working in groups also reflects industry practice and the idea of collaboration. This can be via the physical group of people who share ideas and formulate one cohesive work, or the collaborative idea of hyperlinking to each others separate work in the online space. Both these forms of collaboration are highly relevant to the Media and Communications industry, as Networking and idea sharing is pretty much what defines it. Also, the task’s focus on incorporating visual material less of an accompaniment to text and more as a focus is in keeping with the movements in the industry.
or maybe I will end up like this guy…being able to code obviously didn’t do much for his employment options…
