When hypertext is combined with multimedia content, hypermedia emerges.
The concept of hypermedia , used in the field of computing , is built from two terms: hypertext and multimedia . To understand it, therefore, you must first focus on these words.
A hypertext is a structure of texts that are linked to each other through links . The idea of multimedia , for its part, refers to the combination of multiple media (such as texts, images, videos, sounds, etc.).
Hypermedia concept
Hypermedia , in this way, is a network or a set of elements linked together that includes texts, sounds, images and other resources. This means that there are different kinds of documents that maintain a logical connection and through which it is possible to navigate.
Hypermedia, in short, integrates hypertext and multimedia. There are blocks of information that are interconnected by links, with which a person can access the data. That is why hypermedia allows interactivity: the individual decides which resource to consult based on the clicks they make on the links.
Hypermedia is key on the Web.
The structure and formats
It can be stated that multimedia provides the value of the variety of data, while hypertext guarantees the structure for the exploration of said data. In this way, hypermedia favors the dissemination of knowledge.
In a broad sense, it is possible to maintain that hypermedia presents the same kind of structure as hypertext. The difference is that the hypertext nodes are all the same ( texts ), while the hypermedia nodes host documents of different formats (texts, images, sounds, videos, animations), enriching the available alternatives.
Hypermedia on the Internet
Having said all this, we must point out that hypermedia is not something rare or something that only computer experts appreciate; On the contrary, its most outstanding example is the Internet itself. Precisely, in this virtual space that we all visit daily for several hours, we find a broad combination of hypertext and multimedia that is constantly growing.
We cannot fail to highlight the importance of interaction in hypermedia content : unlike other media, such as radio and television, it unfolds before the user based on their actions, which currently involve much more than a simple mouse click.
We find ourselves in an era characterized by great advances that arise as a result of the incessant research work of many teams around the world, thanks to which we have augmented reality , voice control, text-to-speech conversion in real time, touch screens and vibration to simulate textures, among other technologies that bring us closer to the virtual world than ever.
The importance of user contributions
In other words, the exploration of hypermedia does not involve following a single path, but rather allows a certain degree of freedom, which depends largely on the design. When analyzing the etymology of the term, in addition to noting the fusion between hypertext and multimedia , we can say that the prefix hyper- was taken from mathematics, where it serves to describe multidimensional spaces.
The Internet grows every moment, thanks to the contributions of creators and users, who leave their mark with a simple comment, with a "like" or who publish a new blog, video or an entire site, among other possibilities. This gives it a world character. User opinions can influence to a greater or lesser extent the ordering of the content, and even get moderators to delete certain publications if they consider them offensive or fraudulent. We never know if a video or text that we read one second ago will still exist the next second.