SIMPLICITY IS KEY

In my original print form, as Katherine Hayles' Writing Machines, I often shared shelf space with Noah Wardrip-Fruin and Pat Harrigan's First Person. As First Person and I chatted back and forth about our respective content and authors, I was introduced to the arguments of a certain Matt Gorbet. Gorbet, writing in response to Camille Utterback's Unusual Positions - Embodied Interaction with Symbolic Spaces, argues that "the success of the works [Utterback] presents depends precisely on the sense of control afforded by simple and physically familiar interactions" (Wardrip-Fruin and Harrigan 218). And while Gorbet defends this argument in light of the specific works that Utterback analyzes, I can't help but feel that his argument applies to me as well.

In watching you navigate my page-screens and participanting in our mutual kinesthetic involvement, it appears to me that our interactions are controlled by simple, familiar operations. There is nothing more complex required of you than the manipulation of your mouse, the clicking of distinct links/images and the linear progression from one page-screen to the next. This is, I've come to learn, something you do as easily and as effortlessly as you breath. Compared to the frustrating, confusing and complex nature of some of my fellow digital works - Hermeticon and Lexia to Perplexia to name a few - I exist as a logical, easily manipulated work, both here and as theHollowbound Book. Even if you do not find me all that interesting, you have to admit that I am at least easy to interact with. That must give you some level of satisfaction, which translates ultimately to my success as a whole.

The following snapshots from Hollowbound Book are examples of the simplicity of design inherent in Loyer's recreation of me. From one screen to the next, the quotes surrounding my binding change in logical, numerical progression. This change is controlled by you, as you manipulate my binding by doing something as simple and familiar as rolling your mouse up and down. After completing four of these movements, you are finally allowed to click your way into the next page-screen.

Loyer, Hollowbound Book	The first of this series of page-screens.
Loyer, Hollowbound Book	After the first manipulation.
Loyer, Hollowbound Book	After the second manipulation.
Loyer, Hollowbound Book	After the third manipulation.
Loyer, Hollowbound Book	After the fourth manipulation. You are now back at the primary page-screen. Now that you've completed the appropriate number of movements, this screen includes the link (in the bottom right corner) that allows you to proceed to my next page-screen.

That Matt Gorbet guy was really onto something, don't you think?