ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces readers to some of the possibilities and dangers that are entailed with hypertextual systems for learning. New technical resources and systems for organizing information challenge traditional notions about what a "text" is, what it means to "read" different media or sources of information, and what the relation is between an "author" and a "reader". The chapter discusses how hypertext is similar to, and how it differs from, other forms of information creation, organization, storage, and retrieval. It examines the influence hypertext has on the information it organizes and the implications this has for both readers and authors of hypertext systems. Finally, the chapter explores a number of problematic issues, focusing on the potential for bias and distortion within hypertexts and on the paradoxical demand that hypertext systems balance flexibility with accessibility.
