Readers and writers of print literature have developed a strong community. If you want to improve your writing, you can subscribe to over 100 magazines and journals for writers, join one of countless critique groups to practice in front of readers, or find support groups to talk about editors and editing. Hundreds of writing societies (from the Academy of American Poets to International P.E.N.) promote literature and writers.
If you want to discuss the latest book, join one of thousands of book clubs (from Oprah's book club to the Book-of-the-month club to the one at the corner bookstore), or even move to a city that reads books together. You can discuss the merits of the classics, debate the nature of God, inspect cozy or detective mysteries, hang out at science fiction cons or explore travelogues. Reading groups to read and ponder over books number in the thousands. Readers gather out of a common love of literature, of stories, of words. These are groups outside of the university, outside of the pressures of degrees and theory.
This strong support for reading and writing came over centuries of linear literature, and we have mere decades for hypertext and new media literature. Still, the need for this deep grassroots support for any form of reading and writing is clear. Reading groups reach out to new readers and encourage people to find and read works. Reading groups in hypertext can share divergent experiences and explore different reading strategies. Writing groups reach out to writers to encourage their talent, to improve the writing. How much more could writer's groups do in a communal hypertext work environment (Rada et al. 2000). These are the true grassroots of good writing, of words reaching people.