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Monday, October 31, 2011

Reflections on the Hypertext as a Genre

At openingsources.com I found it intriguing to discover how two competing types of people seemed to exist within that virtual space. One type (A) greatly used sarcasm and parodic intertextuality to modify the text into sentences which would not necessarily make much sense without the cultural intertextuality present. The other type (B) would go for the more traditional prose or poetry approach with grammatical and pronounceable sentence structures. Between these two types of people, it is largely a matter of cause and effect: A will correct whatever B has written into something that A believes to be correct. Likewise, B will then correct what A has written into something that B believes to be correct. A group of B’s may then continue to rule the text for weeks, until A takes over with its own army supporting A’s ideology.

In this sense it would seem that openingsource.com is influenced by the various other literary genres available to its users (parody, prose, poetry, etc.). On that level, openingsource.com is a hypertext which not only consists of hyperlinks, images and running text, but also consists of references to literary genres outside of the hypertext genre itself. The hypertext genre is just as cultural as it is technological and digital.

Linear Reflections on Hypertexts

To read a story from beginning to end can be relaxing.

The feeling of just going along with the story, and not having the world demand anything of you for just a few moments, is fantastic.

However, hypertexts disrupt the going-with-the-flow-mood, and suddenly demands are being made again.

You have to make your own choices and you are to affect the story by these choices.

I write “have to”, because the story won’t read itself, and maybe that’s just the point.

If you don’t make any choices, the story won’t proceed, and in this respect, hypertexts quite resemble life.

They have, likewise, adopted the randomness of life.

A randomness that we eternally try to control, by making choices that we believe will yield the result we were aiming for.

I find myself attempting to do that with hypertexts as well.

Choosing the right words to click on might bring me to the plot I wish to read.

Alas, as with life that is far from always the case, but if I stick with it, it might just bring something amazing with it in the end, if I could just find the end…

My Response to Reading Hypertexts

I have never interacted with hypertexts before, so therefore I was pleasantly surprised when introduced to them, even though I was sceptical at first. I was sceptical, because I sometimes think that things can get too electronic. We already have transformed books into electronic versions, which I think is essentially a good idea, but I, however, prefer to read my books in paper form. Therefore, when hearing about hypertexts I thought: Oh no, yet another thing that has to be in electronic form. But I was, like I said, pleasantly surprised.

I love the way hypertexts can capture your attention, just like books do if you find them intriguing or interesting. The way hypertexts capture your attention, however, is completely different. I like how you are intrigued or compelled by clicking the next link in every frame you get to, therefore creating a spiral that in principle will never stop. The way your curiosity is put to the test intrigues me and I find it interesting that even small sentences can interest you so much that you just have to click on the next link to see what happens.

I had a lot of fun with the hypertext on www.openingsources.com – an interactive poem, where whoever visits can change any word in the text to whatever they want. I like the idea that the poem transforms all the time, and therefore creates a new experience every time you visit the website. Also the fact that you can chose to be either a participant or an observer is interesting and engages people to be intrigued and compelled to maybe participate as well, even though at first they might have decided to only be an observer.

The hypertext is an intriguing literary genre and I would in the future like to read some more, even though I know that I will never abandon the old-fashioned way of reading literature, with a book in hand.

Hypertext Reflection

The text on openingsources.com making but fractional sense at first sight, an effort was made to add some depth and purpose to it, but that aspiration had soon to be abandoned, and I had to settle for mere grammatical accuracy and correctness. This is the cross a pedantic know-it-all has to bear; to be forced to notice the poor grammar of others and correct it even when uninvited. 'It's supposed to be random and loose', you tell me? I don't care, I don't like it. Give me order or give me... well, 'death' is a bit strong, but you'll find me somewhere down that road. Don't judge me, I chose nothing. Free will is an illusion.

Who's in charge of the text, you want to know? I am, until I lose interest. Which happens pretty damn fast, probably due to my non-existing interest in the weird ideas of internet people. Collaborative literature is kindergarten playtime chaos, at least when the contributors haven't been put through a filter. Let Hemingway, Bronte and Orwell write something together, and I'll read it. Until then, leave me out of it. By the way, there's probably about a 60% chance I didn't understand the purpose of this whole exercise. That'll teach me to show up.

How to kill 5 minutes..






Wolverine's Longest Taunt Bitches!
















Made by SuperMikkel, Incredi-Peter & Facepuncher-Malte!






Sunday, October 30, 2011

Hypertext response

Playing around with the Hypertexts or Hyperlinks in the powerpoint was pretty neat, especially the hyperlink "These Waves of Girls." At first I found it to be quite obnoxious since the initial page has a sound clip of creepy, childish laughter playing on loop as the page loads. However, I found the pages/links to be interesting since there are stories behind each link. It felt like a game in a way where you hypothetically open one door [in this case, the hyperlink(s)] and find something interesting. In my case, I found a series of provocative and insightful passages.

I think coming up with various Hyperfictions are fairly simple, but what I would like to suggest or that I wish was more available are hyperlinks for lectures, articles, readings, etc. I am a psychology major from the United States and often times have to rely on a lot of articles and texts. Having hyperlinks such as the "web" in "These Waves of Girls" would provide a more colorful alternative for reading scientific articles and research papers.

My Responses to Some of the Hypertexts I Have Interacted With

When first introduced to hypertexts and hyperfiction in class the other day, I found myself both curious and entertained by the imaginative construction of these websites. They invite you to explore the dimensions and knowledge they have chosen to present and often bring a playful quality to their sites. Nevertheless, I am the kind of person who quickly becomes frustrated if things or texts get too abstract so this form of medium quickly put my patience to the test.
In Peace – Play – Space the ongoing revelation of literary texts and pictures of authors caught my interest, however, and I happily clicked through and read the poems. You become so absorbed in reading more literary texts as well as knowing more about the authors by clicking further on, that you almost get a sense of disappointment when meeting a dead-end. Then again, the exploring can be frustrating at the same time as you are constantly worrying that you are missing something better when you click on one word in preference to another.
Whereas another hypertext, The Jew’s Daughter, makes you question the point of it all. Although very imaginative and well-developed, the author could hardly have expected any readers to make sense of the narrative, but rather to have fun with and marvel over the ever-changing text – which brings us back to my poor patience.
Common to the sites we saw in class is the obscurity of the author. You wonder who the author is and why he/she has written and created the words and dimensions he/she has. Was it an experiment, a way to convey an opinion or just a way to pass the time?
In regards to different hypertexts which I have dealt with in other connections – such as readings for school, news updates, etc. – I find there is a great environmental advantage which I much applaud. In this way, I see the progress of hypertexts as extremely positive.
However, old-fashioned as I may be, I prefer my fiction in the traditional way where I can lean back in my armchair with a novel in paper-form and turn each page without the click of a mouse.

Naming of Pulse


Today, we have naming of pulse. Yesterday,

We had the inner urge to run away. And tomorrow morning,

We might have found what we were looking for. But today,

Today we have naming of pulse. Adrenaline

Running through our veins, arousing those closest to us,

And today we have naming of pulse.


This is the hunger that kept you alive. And this is the fear,

That woke you up in the middle of the night, whose use you will see

Once you‘ve realized you have to get away. And this is the feeling of home,

Which in your case you have not got. The birds

Fly away over our heads with their wings,

Which in our case we have not got.


This is the one chance, which can lead to release,

If only you take hold of it. And please do not let me

See anyone waste this one chance chance. You can make it quite easy

If you have any pugnacity in your heart. The breath

Becomes fragile and motionless, leaving your body and never coming back

If you don‘t go by now.


And this you can see is the wind. The purpose of this

Is to open your mind, as you think. We can ride with it

Rapidly backwards and forwards: We call this

Daydreaming. And rapidly backwards and forwards

Your feet carry you away, not knowing where exactly to lead you

But daydreaming their way.


They call it daydreaming: It is perfectly easy

If you have any pugnacity in your heart: Like your mind,

And your blood, telling you to get away from here as fast as possible and the beginning of homesickness,

Which in our case we have not got, and the wind,

Silent in all the others but howling inside of you, going backwards and forwards,

For today we have naming of pulse.

Go get Poodled

http://web.me.com/grhys/LoneUniWeb/

ps: when you get to the 'Snip' link - please read it, I wrote it! And no, re week 6: it's not me!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

NAMING OF DANCES

To-day we have naming of dances. Yesterday,

we had different songs. And to-morrow morning,

we shall have what to do after writing. But to-day

to-day we have naming of dances. I can hear the music

in my mind, I have almost forgotten pleasant sounds.

To-day we have naming of dances.

This is swing. And this

is waltz, the romantic dance that

you love. And this is foxtrot,

accompanied by your favourite jazz music.

The feeling of freedom is completely forgotten

in this no sense war. Accompanied by your

favourite jazz music.

This is salsa, which is the perfect mixture

between music and dance.

You have to try and when you do,

you will love it. Songs and beautiful memories

crossed my mind like a shooting star.

If you try, you will love it.

And this is flamenco. This dance

communicates passion and energy. This is the most

powerful expression of feelings in dancing: the power

of body. As if you had to fight against something so hard

that you should use your own strength.

The power of body.

This is called the power of body: it is perfectly easy

if you use your strength to express feelings, by means of

dancing, music, writing...But in this case strength

is necessary to fight. Birds dance and fly away while

my mind is imaging to be one of them.

Today we have naming of dances.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

War Poem: The Lack of Creativity


Today we have a lack of creativity. Yesterday,

We had even more lack of creativity.

And tomorrow it will probably be the same.

The war against the lack of creativity is a long lost battle in my case.

The lack of interesting ideas is an ongoing war going through my head.

This is a problem. And this

is very hard to do. Where are the others getting their inspiration?

Please ship some of it! Who can help me? I need a muse…

Inspiration – what is it exactly?

And why do we need it?

Do you need a safety-catch, when throwing yourself out into

the wide world of ideas? With an easy flick of the thumb you could be rescued

from the hell of emptiness. The emptiness you feel when given an

assignment you cannot complete.

You can do it quite easy, if you have any strength in your thumb to push the safety-catch.

A rescue does not sound so bad right now.

The purpose of this is to open your mind, as you see. We can do whatever

We want with it – we can go in whatever direction we wish to seek

but this lack of limitation troubles me. No limits is not a good idea,

it gives too much freedom to get confused.

Confused – that is what I am. Confused with a slight twist of creativity.

The war against the lack of creativity has begun – and it will probably never stop

It will continue to trouble me and others throughout time

And I have accepted this.

My abilities will only take me so far and the war against the lack

of creativity that I have will never end.