- In the early internet, people were concerned about users' ability to navigate hypertexts; this was called the Navigation Problem. It turned out that users weren't quite so disoriented by tangles of links, but by the content itself, which is an issue in *any* medium, not just material on the web. - Still, we've defaulted to rigid structure that makes "navigation simple and [[{2.2} the layout of the internet is starting to feel life a cookie-cutter new development|ubiquitous]]" ([source](https://www.eastgate.com/garden/The_Limits_of_Structure.html)): most websites have navigational centers and landmarks, like menus and homepages, that direct traffic through its content. These structures make everything feel sterile and uninteresting, *and* it can give users a sense of "closure" when they, for example, leave an article to go back to your homepage (see next section). - **Complex navigation, particularly through links, allows for more fluid experience with unexpected discoveries.** - You're able to create the *best* path through your material, rather than focusing on the shortest. It encourages readers to spend more time exploring and reflecting on your content. It gives you the space to become better and more intentional in how you lay pathways and present ideas. As [[Bernstein, Mark - 1998 - Hypertext Gardens|Bernstein]] explains: > - Links need not be treated as dangerous hazards; links are new opportunities for expression.[^2] - Although navigation is not typically what *disorients* users, it can enhance their experience and help keep them moving through your content.