What do you think?
Rate this book
Topics in the Digital Humanities
From Papyrus to Hypertext: Toward the Universal Digital Library
In this study, Christian Vandendorpe examines how digital media and the Internet have changed the process of reading and writing, significantly altering our approaches toward research and reading, our assumptions about audience and response, and our theories of memory, legibility, and context. Reflecting on the full history of the written word, Vandendorpe provides a clear overview of how materiality makes a difference in the creation and interpretation of texts. Surveying the conventions of reading and writing that have appeared and disappeared in the Internet's wake, Vandendorpe considers various forms of organization, textual design, the use (and distrust) of illustrations, and styles of reference and annotation. He also examines the novel components of digital texts, including hyperlinks and emoticons, and looks at emergent, collaborative genres such as blogs and wikis, which blur the distinction between author and reader. Looking to the future, reading and writing will continue to evolve based on the current, contested trends of universal digitization and accessibility.
- GenresNonfiction
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
30 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 11, 2020
I must say for the direction this world is going in, great introduction. The books layout of the practice of reading was special. It came to terms with modernization of the use with hypertext & literature. Being literate in both those areas is important in those areas which was expressed correctly. But I’m not absolutely sure if this book is outdated or not. With names and Authors we know alike philosophizing about literacy across the board ranging from the oral and physical aspects of reading this book was easy to follow and understand the direction it was going in. Especially talking, and the way the author narrated it. I wish I could give it 5 stars but due to length in writing it gives 4. If you could expose me to more like this please do, I’m hear for it!
December 29, 2019
I enjoyed this collection of essays despite its age. As with any book that explores technology's impact on culture, these essays have lost some of their relevance as software and technology have either addressed some of the concerns or moved in unforeseen directions. Despite this, the book is worth reading if you are interested in text, structure, and the impact of technology on the reader.
October 30, 2017
Pretty interesting for a textbook, I suppose. A lot of interesting thoughts.
March 28, 2014
Some useful and important insights, mixed with other less useful, less accurate, and/or starting to get dated (already) thoughts. This is an important book in some ways, and certainly an important topic for our modern, digital, information age. As would be expected on such a topic, however, even the 2007 update of this originally 1999 text is getting a bit out of date in places. His scholarship is vast and varied and brings a great deal of credibility to his thoughts, more so than most writers on this and related topics. His writing style can become very academic, and is likely inaccessible in many instances to the average reader.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.