|
Due to
collaboration via Internet, information is often available online and
can be connected by referencing (linking) forming so-called
hypertexts. This form corresponds to the nature of the Internet, a
network of connected servers, as opposed to linear texts known from
print media. Complex, dynamicly changing content can be connected in
a way that redundancies are avoided and associative structures,
similar to human thinking, develop.
A decisive
factor is the dealing with written information: On paper, written
information (letters, articles) is still forwarded at a rather late
stage. This is particularly true for research projects. A text in
written form usually represents the end of a long thinking and
wording process.
When it comes
to using digital media, a change can be observed: While writing an
e-mail, which corresponds best to a letter on paper, common
requirements towards form, spelling, structure or argumentation
become less important. This is even more true for communication forms
such as SMS, chat and online forums.
On the one
hand, this may signify a decrease in value of information in the eyes
of the recipient. On the other hand, new opportunities for
collaborative knowledge work arise due to the direct,
process-oriented approach.
Thoughts, text
modules and arguments are made accessible, and thus commentable,
extensible and improvable, at a very early stage. This kind of online
work, which takes place in written form, integrates information which
is usally part of oral communication and allows insightful
documentation of the work process at a later time.
At the same
time, there is the opportunity of linking single pieces to a
meaningful whole. For instance: A comment criticizes a text which
includes relevant fragments of an online-discussion which in turn
refers to an invitation to a panel discussion about a similar topic
as well as to the profiles of the participants etc.
In order to be
able to link content to a meaningful whole, the high dynamic of
online content, in other words its constant changes, needs to be
taken into consideration. When creating a link, authors need to be
able to decide: Do I want to direct the reader to the most current
version of the project plan or to the initial version of the plan as
devised in the course of the project start? The possibility to create
such dynamic links provides the precondition for efficiently
referencing online content.
|
