Reader Roles: Building a Bridge Between Content and Navigation
http://orange.eserver.org/issues/2-4/jmichael.htm

Michael, John W.
Orange Journal, The
2001

Abstract:

Will the generation of readers that grow in the age of the Internet respond to text differently than earlier generations? What if in the year 2015 a teenager chooses an online version of Harry Potter where they can actually influence the text to determine an adventure that no one else has ever encountered? It is entirely possible that the Internet could potentially affect how future readers respond to text based on their online experiences. Perhaps these future readers will no longer respond to the passive roles that static text can sometimes place them in. They may seek instead, an active role in both the text and the options they have in the online world. How can text support this role? What kinds of rhetorical reading strategies brought fourth by Technical Communication (TC) could support new adaptations to text that allow the reader to actively engage in both content and navigation online to capture a richer, more rewarding experience?