On the Aesthetics of Hypertext: a Case Study on Names and a General Framework

Brooker, Sam and Antonini, Alessio (2025). On the Aesthetics of Hypertext: a Case Study on Names and a General Framework. New Review of Hypermedia and Multimedia (Early access).

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13614568.2025.2463889

Abstract

There are notable parallels between the link in hypertext and the sign (both semiotic and linguistic). Consisting of source and destination, links take an approach to association that can be explored by reference to the signifier and signified of the semiotic and linguistic sign, alongside wider models and approaches to intertextuality. Deeper investigation of the connection between the sign and the link is, however, a rather neglected area for current hypertext scholarship. This is unfortunate, as better understanding the complexities of the semiotic sign can be beneficial for the epistemology of hypertext and more generally for understanding the complex meaning the link engenders.

To link or not to link - and to what - is an equivalently nuanced question for hypertext. In closed hypertext, such decisions are, while important, more limited in scope; in open hypertext, however, links represent a form of delegation (or sharing) of authority and responsibility. This contribution explores this aesthetic dimension of hypertext design, through reference to the semiotics of names developed through a case study on name links.

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