--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Hypertext makes a virtue out of lack of…" description: "\"Hypertext makes a virtue out of lack of organization, allowing ideas and thoughts to be juxtaposed at will. [...] The advent of hypertext is apt to mak..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/662/donald-a-norman-6862_advent_hypertext-makes-a-virtue-out-of-lack-of_51804.jpg" --- # Hypertext makes a virtue out of lack of organization… ![“Hypertext makes a virtue out of lack of organization, allowing ideas and thoughts to be juxtaposed at will. [...] The advent of hypertext is apt to make writing much more difficult, not easier. Good writing, that is.” quote by Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/662/donald-a-norman-6862_advent_hypertext-makes-a-virtue-out-of-lack-of_51804.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/662/donald-a-norman-6862_advent_hypertext-makes-a-virtue-out-of-lack-of_51804.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/662/donald-a-norman-6862_advent_hypertext-makes-a-virtue-out-of-lack-of_51804.jpg) > “Hypertext makes a virtue out of lack of organization, allowing ideas and thoughts to be juxtaposed at will. \[...\] The advent of hypertext is apt to make writing much more difficult, not easier. Good writing, that is.” [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hypertext disrupts linear narrative, forcing writers to grapple with non‑sequential organization, which can complicate the craft of clear expression. **In simple terms:** Non‑linear media challenges traditional writing. Key Takeaway Hypertext raises the bar for coherence. Themes information architecture cognitive load digital literacy writing process media theory Mood reflective critical inquisitive Type observation cautionary When to use this quote - academic essay drafting - website content planning - blog post structuring - research paper outlining Key Concepts hypertext organization juxtaposition clarity Practical Applications - designing user‑friendly hypertext interfaces - teaching writing for digital media Questions to Reflect On - How does hypertext affect reader comprehension? - What strategies can writers use to maintain coherence? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advent/) [Allowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allowing/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Easier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easier/) [Good writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-writing/) [Hypertext](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypertext-734560/) [Hypertext Makes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypertext-makes-734561/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Make Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-writing-734562/) [Organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organization/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-difficult/) ## Related quotes > [Good writing is difficult no matter what the reader's age-and children deserve the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-shepard/good-writing-is-difficult-no-matter-what-the-reader-s-age-and/) [Aaron Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-shepard/) > [Forming of a web of information nodes rather than a hierarchical tree or an ordered list is the basic concept behind HyperText.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-berners-lee/forming-of-a-web-of-information-nodes-rather-than-a-hierarchical-tree/) [Tim Berners-Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-berners-lee/) > [The serendipitous nature of hypertext links is just brilliant for a curious mind. I love it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-watson-jr/the-serendipitous-nature-of-hypertext-links-is-just-brilliant-for-a/) [Thomas Watson, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-watson-jr/) > [So, that notion of hypertext seemed to me immediately obvious because footnotes were already the ideas wriggling, struggling to get free, like a cat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nelson/so-that-notion-of-hypertext-seemed-to-me-immediately-obvious-because/) [Ted Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nelson/) > [What is hypertext? It is a method of giving a text more depth, structuring it, and letting the computer help you explore it. Links,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cailliau/what-is-hypertext-it-is-a-method-of-giving-a-text-more-depth/) [Robert Cailliau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cailliau/) > [WorldWideWeb: Proposal for a HyperText Project](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-berners-lee/worldwideweb-proposal-for-a-hypertext-project/) [Tim Berners-Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-berners-lee/) > [“Even though the World Wide Web has made hypertext commonplace, indeed ubiquitous, research continues to show that people who read linear text comprehend more,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-carr/even-though-the-world-wide-web-has-made-hypertext-commonplace-indeed/) [Nicholas Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-carr/) > [ Hypertext, as Nelson \[Ted Nelson\] originally wrote, is interlinked reading and writing. Links make hypertext. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bernstein/hypertext-as-nelson-ted-nelson-originally-wrote-is-interlinked/) [Mark Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bernstein/) > [The objective of hypertext research is to save the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nelson/the-objective-of-hypertext-research-is-to-save-the-planet/) [Ted Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nelson/) > [While we may blame the Internet for the ease with which conspiracy theories proliferate, the net is really much more culpable for the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/while-we-may-blame-the-internet-for-the-ease-with-which-conspiracy/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [The Web is actually a coming together of three technologies, if you like: the hypertext, the personal computer, and the network. So, the network…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cailliau/the-web-is-actually-a-coming-together-of-three-technologies-if-you/) [Robert Cailliau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cailliau/) > [The fundamental deficiency in HTML is that it reduces hypertext and the intertwinedness of human communication to a question of how it is rendered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-naggum/the-fundamental-deficiency-in-html-is-that-it-reduces-hypertext-and/) [Erik Naggum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-naggum/) > [Hypertext is an idea. The Internet is a medium. They grow up beside each other, they influence each other, and their evolving relationship will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bernstein/hypertext-is-an-idea-the-internet-is-a-medium-they-grow-up-beside/) [Mark Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bernstein/) > [“A 1989 study showed that readers of hypertext often ended up clicking distractedly “through pages instead of reading them carefully.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-carr/a-1989-study-showed-that-readers-of-hypertext-often-ended-up-clicking/) [Nicholas Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-carr/) > [“hypertext readers often “could not remember what they had and had not read.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-carr/hypertext-readers-often-could-not-remember-what-they-had-and-had-not/) [Nicholas Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-carr/) ## More by Donald A. Norman > [“key to winning the race is not to compete against machines but to compete with machines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/key-to-winning-the-race-is-not-to-compete-against-machines-but-to/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [We delude ourselves if we believe that skilled behavior is easy, that it can come about without effort. We forget the years of tuning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/we-delude-ourselves-if-we-believe-that-skilled-behavior-is-easy-that/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [“Could we ever switch to this or any of the many other rational systems? Unlikely: tradition is difficult to overcome.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/could-we-ever-switch-to-this-or-any-of-the-many-other-rational/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [People Propose, Science Studies, Technology Conforms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/people-propose-science-studies-technology-conforms/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [“If designers and researchers do not sometimes fail, it is a sign that they are not trying hard enough—they are not thinking the great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/if-designers-and-researchers-do-not-sometimes-fail-it-is-a-sign-that/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [What makes something simple or complex? It's not the number of dials or controls or how many features it has: It is whether the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/what-makes-something-simple-or-complex-it-s-not-the-number-of-dials/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [Only the most sophisticated of beings can lie and cheat, and get away with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/only-the-most-sophisticated-of-beings-can-lie-and-cheat-and-get-away/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [Any time you see signs or labels added to a device, it is an indication of bad design: a simple lock should not require…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/any-time-you-see-signs-or-labels-added-to-a-device-it-is-an/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [Good design is also an act of communication between the designer and the user, except that all the communication has to come about by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/good-design-is-also-an-act-of-communication-between-the-designer-and/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [“We need to remove the word failure from our vocabulary, replacing it instead with learning experience. To fail is to learn: we learn more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/we-need-to-remove-the-word-failure-from-our-vocabulary-replacing-it/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [When I use a direct manipulation system whether for text editing, drawing pictures, or creating and playing games I do think of myself not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/when-i-use-a-direct-manipulation-system-whether-for-text-editing/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [“Radical innovation is what many people seek, for it is the big, spectacular form of change. But most radical ideas fail, and even those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/radical-innovation-is-what-many-people-seek-for-it-is-the-big/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [Technology usually provides a series of tradeoffs. Each asset is offset by a deficit...A major problem occurs when those who suffer from technology's defecits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/technology-usually-provides-a-series-of-tradeoffs-each-asset-is/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [Simplification is as much in the mind as it is in the device.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/simplification-is-as-much-in-the-mind-as-it-is-in-the-device/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [I think a successful company is one where everybody owns the same mission. Out of necessity, we divide ourselves up into discipline groups. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/i-think-a-successful-company-is-one-where-everybody-owns-the-same/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) [Explore all 97 Donald A. Norman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) ## More Advent quotes > [“Liturgy gathers the holy community as it reads the Holy Scriptures into the sweeping tidal rhythms of the church year in which the story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/liturgy-gathers-the-holy-community-as-it-reads-the-holy-scriptures/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“History reveals that times of suffering for the church have also been times of looking upward. Tribulation has always sobered God’s people and encouraged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-w-tozer/history-reveals-that-times-of-suffering-for-the-church-have-also-been/) [A.W. Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-w-tozer/) > [Advent is patience it's how God has made us a people of promise, in a world of impatience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/advent-is-patience-it-s-how-god-has-made-us-a-people-of-promise-in-a/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [Two hundred years ago, before the advent of capitalism, a man's social status was fixed from the beginning to the end of his life;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/two-hundred-years-ago-before-the-advent-of-capitalism-a-man-s-social/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Critics of the war plans (including myself) have pointed to the disastrous political results that must be expected: Iraq would break into three parts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uri-avnery/critics-of-the-war-plans-including-myself-have-pointed-to-the/) [Uri Avnery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uri-avnery/) > [The true sovereign is not the American president nor the English king, but the Lord of the Second Advent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-myung-moon/the-true-sovereign-is-not-the-american-president-nor-the-english-king/) [Sun Myung Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-myung-moon/) > [For years, particularly with the advent of the Internet, people have been griping about lessening attention spans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/for-years-particularly-with-the-advent-of-the-internet-people-have/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [“It is now, at Advent, that I am given the chance to suspend all expectation...and instead to revel in the mystery.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerusalem-jackson-greer/it-is-now-at-advent-that-i-am-given-the-chance-to-suspend-all/) [Jerusalem Jackson Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerusalem-jackson-greer/) > [“On this eve of Christmas, whether you feel yourself to be surrounded by earthly blessings or whether you feel your blessings to be few,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-van-der-vinne/on-this-eve-of-christmas-whether-you-feel-yourself-to-be-surrounded/) [Kerry van der Vinne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-van-der-vinne/) > [If you thought the advent of the Internet, the spread of cheap and efficient information technology, and the growing fragmentation of the consumer market…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/if-you-thought-the-advent-of-the-internet-the-spread-of-cheap-and/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) > [I think there is no doubt that the advent of 24/7 news channels, which are voracious in their demand for constant new content, has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/i-think-there-is-no-doubt-that-the-advent-of-24-7-news-channels-which/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [The advent of AIDS circa 1980 has really forced medicine and biology to take enormous steps just for sheer survival. 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So what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/my-platitudes-don-t-hold-their-interest-and-i-can-hardly-blame-them/) [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) [Browse all 258 Advent quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advent/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Hypertext makes a virtue out of lack of organization, allowing ideas and thoughts to be juxtaposed at will. [...] The advent of hypertext is apt to make writing much more difficult, not easier. Good writing, that is.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Donald A. 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