Importance of Narrative (Was article: The beauty of single columned sequential text")

My reading of the article is that this is spefically targeted at
multi-column formats, not hypertext.  Another aspect of the point that the
author is making is the power of narrative, which may be even more critical
with the ever-growing number of information sources found on the Internet.
These concepts tie in quite well with the book I'm currently reading:
Design Wise, by Alison J. Head.    http://www.ajhead.com/designwise.html

These are also underlying concepts that have been influencing my own book
project, which will be a collection of narrative essays.   I'll post more
information on this project shortly.

Karl

Other related links:

Narrative Storytelling in a Drive-By Medium
http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reports/00-3NRfall/Drive-By-Medium.html
                                                                 
 Storytelling: Organizational Perspective: Larry Prusak          
                                                                 


http://www.creatingthe21stcentury.org/Larry1-enemies&enablers.html

The Triumph of Narrative: Storytelling in the Age of Mass Culture
http://www.robertfulford.com/Narrative.html





                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                      
                    "Danny Ayers"          To:     "wai-ig list" <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>                                  
                    <danny@isacat.n        cc:     (bcc: Karl F. Hebenstreit Jr./MJ/CO/GSA/GOV)                       
                    et>                    Subject:     RE: article: The beauty of single columned sequential text"   
                    Sent by:                                                                                          
                    w3c-wai-ig-requ                                                                                   
                    est@w3.org                                                                                        
                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                      
                    10/05/2001                                                                                        
                    11:43 AM                                                                                          
                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                      




Now at : http://www.clickz.com/design/write_onl/article.php/896561

A quick comment, the author's key point is :

"The delivery of your key messages, in the right sequence, within a single,
central column of text can work wonders."

In many cases, this probably holds true. But I think it should be rejected
as a general rule, among other reasons, for one pointed to by the author of
the piece : "A single principal column of text makes life easy for the
reader and gives you a great deal more control over the sequence in which
information is delivered to the reader."

Controlling the sequence? Doesn't this rather undermine the benefits
offered
by hypertext in the first place? If we wish to deliver propaganda, all well
and good, if we wish to deliver information for the benefit of the reader,
then surely allowing them to control the flow will be the aim.

Cheers,
Danny.

---
Danny Ayers
http://www.isacat.net

>Subject: article: The beauty of single columned sequential text"
>
>
>can be found at:
>http://clickz.com/design/write_onl/article.php/8965611
>
>Hands-on Technolog(eye)s
>Touching The Internet
>http://members.home.com/poehlman1/
>mailto:poehlman1@home.com
>voice: 301.949.7599
>
>

Received on Friday, 5 October 2001 12:19:01 UTC