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I like to write at three different levels
at once: to have something interesting for a new reader who has
never tried this stuff, some hidden material for more experienced
readers, and lots of in-jokes and techniques for those who want
to look for them . . .
Deena Larsen
 As
you read new pieces, you will notice that sometimes the writer
has included information on how best to read the work. These suggestions
come in the form of introductions, artist’s statements,
help-files, site maps, contents pages, etc. Although it is not
necessary to read this additional material prior to looking at
the work, it is usually advisable, especially if you are new to
the conventions of new media reading, as the guidance offered
will usually enhance the reading experience. Sometimes it’s
fun to play first and read the guidance second….
It helps to set your computer preferences appropriately and make
sure it is equipped with the appropriate free downloads.
You should try to have:
- Sound card
- Speakers (and remember to turn them on when looking at a multimedia
piece!)
- Good quality monitor with good graphics card
- Recent version of browser, at least version 5 or above, preferably
IE 6 or Netscape 6
Many works include links to the plugins required. The kind of
plugins you might need to read a new media work include Flash
or Shockwave player (it's recommended that you keep your
version up to date), Adobe Acrobat reader, QuickTime
4 for some animation, sound and audio clips, an MPEG
video player, I-tunes (for playing Mac
audio), Windows Media Player and/or Winamp.
Real Player is ubiquitous on the Web. The Online
Toolkit accompanying this guide has links to sites where you can
download
these plugins.
Your computer's security settings may also need to be adjusted.
For example if you have a firewall, it may need to be configured
to play audio or video files. Cookies are required for some interactive
works. Popup windows are often used creatively and if you have
popup ads disabled you will not be able to view these works. Javascript
should be turned on in your browser, and Java enabled.
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