Don't Panic!!

I enjoyed the class last night. I must admit, I'm still giggling at the thought of Vincent trying to 'read' my database as a work of fiction! I'm not laughing at you Vincent -- I don't believe in mocking. It is funny, especially since there is a field of research into 'database narrative'. But, back to hypertext fictions specifically. I must admit that I haven't found many hypertext fictions out there that really interest me. But I am keen on the idea, and how it could be. What is fantastic now though, is the research into what makes a good hypertext experience work. This area of research is called 'Hypertext Rhetoric'.

What I'd like to have you all offer is a couple of examples of navigation, of linking that works well. I want to see a link that you felt impelled to follow, for whatever reason: curious, fascination, excitement... Provide a link to the page and an explanation of what you liked about it. You can scour the web and find links or you can look through the works I have listed in my online database of new media arts.

Here are a couple I like. The first is from the 20th Anniversary edition of the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy IF. I love the image of "Don't Panic" alongside the big red button. I like it because it reminds me of a scene in the Ren and Stimpy cartoon 'Space Madness'. In this cartoon Stimpy is seduced into pressing the "candy-coloured history ending button":

The idea of pressing a big red button is fun for me therefore. I also like the incongruity of the words "don't panic" listed with the a big button -- one shouldn't be pressing buttons if one is panicking! And, of course, the big button with "don't panic" is straight from the original book. So I felt as though I was entering the story by pressing the button. Isn't this what good navigation is about: the excitement or tension over clicking a BIG RED BUTTON?

The second example of a good motivation to clicking a link (or 'clinking') is a product description of a game like no other. The setup in the text, the way the product is described, made me want to:

Click here to learn
about the story so far...

It was really well written.

I look forward to checking out your exciting and interesting links. You've got till next Tuesday. :)