ABSTRACT
It is worth examining these two examples more closely. The system of links on an Internet text, which allows the reader to move easily between subjects, is of course predetermined. They may appear to give a natural, organic flow to a text but they are all pre-planned according to the author(s) preoccupations and values. They may take the reader on a predetermined course that is in fact more limiting than the browsing afforded by a book. The example however does highlight the fact that the relationship between ICT and English should not be seen in a purely functional way. Computers do not only provide an easier and quicker way of doing the same things as one would with a pen but actually may change our conception of the reading and writing process (seeing these as more dynamic, fluid and collaborative). The second example provides an ideal of constantly updated publications, but anyone who has spent time on the Internet will almost certainly have been frustrated by the
12 C H A P T E R
presence of material which is wildly out-of-date. This can become more problematic than the printed word because in the latter case the conventions of dating publications is more clearly established. The example is a reminder that ITC is dependent on human agency and its value is largely determined by critical and discriminating use.
