Integrating Bottom-Up and Top-Down Analysis for Intelligent Hypertext

Abstract

The range of hypertext systems continues to expand, from custom-tailored, closed systems to dynamic, distributed, and open systems like the World Wide Web (WWW). The shift from closed to open systems results in a corresponding decrease in the effectiveness of metrics and techniques for providing intelligent hypertext to users. Essentially, the locus of control shifts away from developers towards users. Stated differently, the central question becomes how chaotic, loosely constrained environments, like the World Wide Web, can provide intelligent hypertext. This paper argues that viable answers are derivable from both bottom-up and top-down analyses. Furthermore, intelligent hypertext within open, client-server systems may profit by combining these two approaches. Using the WWW as a case study, a method of analysis for each approach is presented, accompanied by a discussion of the implications for implementations in open hypertext systems.