Chapter 2 Interactivity
INTERACTIVITY IS WITHOUT DOUBT the most grossly misunderstood and callously misused term associated with computers. Everybody has been using the term for so long that people are quite sure of their appreciation of interactivity. The problem is that everybody seems to have a different conception of interactivity, and most descriptions are fuzzy and accompanied with lots of arm-waving.
Here’s a prime example taken from a recent book, Pause and Effect: The Art of Interactive Narrative1:
Interaction can be described as many things. Catchwords abound: “engaging,” “immersive,” “participatory,” “responsive,” and “reactive.”
Interactivity is a continuing increase in participation. It’s a bidirectional communication conduit. It’s ...
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