Medieval Multitasking: Did We Ever Focus? | Culture | Religion Dispatches
This is a fascinating look at the illuminated manuscript of Medieval times and how they were often closer in design to a webpage then physical book.
The function of these images in illuminated manuscripts has no small bearing on the hypertext analogy. These “miniatures” (so named not because they were small—often they were not—but because they used red ink, or vermillion, the Latin word for which is minium) did not generally function as illustrations of something in the written text, but in reference to something beyond it.The author goes on to mention other similarities as well. She then comes to this conclusion:
All of which is to say that there were a lot of “distractions” built into a medieval book.I kind of have to take issue with this. Mainly because, when well done, the links, images, and even the ads on a site can and should enhance the content, not distract from it. I would like to think that I do this here. It is certainly my intent and goal. Even in the examples she gives, it is clear to me that this was the intent of the authors of the illuminated manuscripts.
I think the real difference is that the manuscript, while large, was contained. One did not find themselves, over the course of reading, suddenly in a whole different book or even a whole different room. In contrast, the internet is vast and seemingly endless and it is very easy to follow a trail that takes you quickly away from the content and context in which you started. In other words, it is a whole other level of distraction – almost deserving of its own word.
