ON THE ONE HAND, web authors should compose with the expectations and tastes of their readers in mind. By doing so, they would then be catering to the needs of their audience, making communication more effective and pleasant for the reader. In fact, Snyder believes that it is the duty of the writer to "develop navigational aids and representational structures that will diminish the possibility of becoming 'lost in hyperspace'"(1) This thus considers the likelihood of readers becoming confused at the numerous link options available.
In addition, she feels that writers need a new concept of structure where they are "creating coherent lines for the reader to discover without closing off the possibilities prematurely or arbitrarily."(2) No doubt, it is not possible to read all the material linked, but nevertheless, information should not be prematurely discarded.
Snyder then quotes Bernstein in reminding us that "mild disorientation can excite readers, increasing their concentration, intensity, and engagement."(3) Thus, it is important for web authors to take into account the shorter attention spans of the new reader. Their material has to be able to grab reader attention when they quickly surf the mountains of information available.(4)
ON THE OTHER HAND, authors within the web environment have diminished control over their writing where readers have become co-authors, constantly editing and changing what was originally written. Moreover, some argue that the writer is more affected by the electronic space or computer in terms the speed and memory space of the computer and the programs that are used in the writing process.(5)
Furthermore, since all individuals carry with them their own meaning and interpretive systems, the writer's own is not as important because it may not be interpreted in the same way.
Moreover, because of the new constructive hypertext, there is no need for the author to take into account his reader's expectations and tastes in terms of content. The emergence of a 'writer- reader' introduces a new flexibility and openness where interaction is the key and no longer clearly demarcated roles.
Lastly, because of the millions of people across the globe who now have Internet access, it is not as easy to pinpoint the class of readers in e- space. Because of this, the writer can only make an educated guess about his possible audience, and as such, it is not possible for him to cater to the expectations and tastes of all his audience. As such, perhaps it is fairer to say that the writer is affected, but only to some extent.
Endnotes
1. Ilana Snyder, Hypertext: The Electronic Labyrinth (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1996) p.34.
2. Ibid, p.98.
3. Ibid, p.35.
4. Nicholas C. Burbules, "Rhetorics of the Web: hyperreading and critical literacy," in Ilana Snyder, ed., Page to Screen: Taking literacy into the electronic era (London: Routledge, 1998) p.108.
5. Ilana Snyder, op cit, p.66.