The Harmless Yank Hobby

[MalignD at aol.com]

<< I think it's fair enough to note that the types of references and 
allusions used in literary texts are similar to hyperlinks on the Internet. I can't 
see any problem with that at all. They've both been placed into a text by an 
author for a reader to follow (or not). >>

The difference, and it's a lot, is the active role and legwork of the 
literate reader in the one case, and provided link and reference in the other.  

One needs but think of Nabokov to grasp the the difference.  Nabokov meant 
his numerous allusions to function as a game, a treasure hunt for the alert and 
curious reader, the discover a reward.  Nothing at all like a hyperlink.