Text Menu

Different consistent anchor schemas may emerge in the same work to handle different purposes, such as menus, progression, navigation, or tone.

Menu and text driven navigation

Many sites provide multiple ways to access the same content, usually through a combination of menus and embedded text. The menu anchors primarily provide hierarchical access to major categories within the work, while text usually indicates a denotative or connotative connection:

• The Unknown [56] is a classic example of graphic and text menus and embedded text.
  
• The Ballad of Sand and Harry Soot [61] provides a series of anchor designs for varying purposes.
  • A binary bar for random access and tracking reading progress
  • Hidden text links with connotative connections
  • Denotative text menu for meta aspects of the poem (directions, beginning, coda, and contributor)
  • Graphic navigation to reveal an underlying connection.
    
• Fuddruckers [19] presents an unusual efferent combination of text menu and graphic map to access content.

Navigational and tonal uses of multiple structures

While The Unknown [56] sticks to two types of anchor structures per screen, the color schema of the embedded text anchors changes to indicate the major subsection typed by color (e.g., a pink/red is the red section or a blue/light blue is the blue section). At times the standard decoration changes to a modest one, as the font and characteristics change--indicating an aside or a major break in tone and content.

The BBC [4] and FirstGov [18] have radically different anchor schemes to appeal to children and adults, and to provide many inroads into the material. Similarly, Questacon [55] uses different schemes in each of its exhibits to appeal to a specific audience and to create a look and feel that fits with the subject matter.

Reader reaction to multiple anchor schemas

Sand Loves [38] accesses the same nodes from an embedded text, providing connotative connections and a kanji map providing denotative connections. These multiple ways to access the same content can be seen as redundant. One of Tan's readers asked: "'…why bother giving me an image map which was a really funky mouse java applet and yet still giving me links…I felt it was kind of redundant…to have two modes of navigation. ' (Anna on Sand Loves) [115, Section 4.1.2.1] " Yet others saw the map as reinforcing the theme to play an illiative role as Tan concludes: "In Sand Loves, while the text is a large reason for readers’ understanding of theme, the navigation (i.e. the image map) and colors play a larger role in affecting readers’ perception of themes. [115, Section 4.1.1.5] "

Odin appreciates the variety of anchor schemas in The Ballad of Sand and Harry Soot [61] : "The navigational paths provided enlighten rather than frustrate, since readers can choose between a complete reading, random reading, or a link-based reading. [104] "

High Crimson [11] also provides a variety of consistent ways to navigate, and another of Tan's readers appreciated the variety: "Dan also felt that the design of links encouraged browsing in High Crimson [11] . '…it encourages browsing mainly because of how the links are being laid out in the story, it is variety of ways, you can actually click on some pictures then you can click on some words…it is a variety but the story itself doesn’t encourage browsing after a while. The design of it does.' [150, Section 4.1.2.1] "