Investigating the Link
 
Today we're asking you to apply the concepts and ideas you gained from this week's reading to analysis of how links functions in different contexts. Here are your instructions:

1) Form into your reading discussion groups

2) Either go to the site allocated to your group below, or choose a site from the category allocated to your group:

3) Follow the instructions below to structure your investigation. Remember that the successful investigation of linking often requires NOT linking for considerable periods of time. Try to draw ideas or interpretations from the readings that will help you to theorize your own findings. Keep notes so that you can summarize your findings for the rest of the class.
  • a) Look at the first screen you reach and examine what you see: 
      • where are the links? how do you identify the links? 
      • are there more than one kind of link? 
      • how do you tell the difference between different kinds of links? 
      • how are the links organized? 
      • does this organization (or any other aspect of the inclusion of links on this screen) predispose you to follow any particular list of links? 
  • b) Choose one link and follow it. Stop. Answer the questions in a) about this screen. Now itemize the (any) differences between the links on your first screen and your second screen. Why do you think those differences occur?
  • c) Choose one link you want to follow. Don't follow it. 
      • Explain why you chose that link as the link you wanted to follow (color, placement on the page, textual context, etc. etc.). Why did that link appeal to you?
      • What do you expect to find when you follow your chosen link? Why?
  • d) Follow your link. What happens in the time between your action of activating your link and the new screen's appearance? Do you have time to think? If so, what do you think about? Would you like to have time to think about what's happening?
  • e) Examine your new screen. Where have you arrived and did you expect to arrive there? Are your expectations of what you would find when you followed your link met or not? Why? Why not?
  • f) Start to follow more links, keeping in mind the analysis you have already begun. What kind of narrative have you entered? To what extent will you want to follow this narrative? How do the links contribute to this narrative? Do they add interest, anticipation? Do they just lead to more information? Do they confuse you? And so on...