Definition of hyperlink

The term "hyperlink" first emerged in the 1960s as a way to describe a feature that allowed users to quickly and easily navigate between different parts of a document or database. The term was coined by Ted Nelson, a computer pioneer and visionary, as he worked to develop a hypertext system called Xanadu. Nelson's vision for "non-sequential writing" involved creating interconnected text that could be accessed in any order, rather than following a linear narrative. This required a way to connect separate sections of text, and thus, the idea of the hyperlink was born. The term "hyperlink" comes from the combination of two words, "hypertext" and "link." Hypertext refers to text that includes links, or connections, to other related information, while a link is a connection or pathway between two pieces of related information. Putting these two words together, hyperlink describes the act of clicking on a highlighted word or phrase, which takes the user to another piece of information. The concept of hyperlinks, as envisioned by Nelson, was revolutionary at the time, as it allowed for new ways of organizing and presenting information. It is now a ubiquitous feature of digital text and has transformed the way we consume and interact with information in the age of the internet.