All great stuff, Joseph; thanks for sharing it here, and for the project links. The interface and design issues you mention with regard to the WBA of course hint at the presence of another kind of paratext, the software engine that serves as the hidden (or silent) architect of the site--visible only in its aberrations. DynaWeb was originally intended for the presentation of technical information--its strong hierarchical nature makes sense in that context. Adapting it for the WBA has very much been a case of round pegs and square holes. The results, I think, speak to the need for humanities-related software to be designed by and for humanists at the code's deepest levels--not just in terms of the interface and content.

Question: how would you leverage your discussion of "paratext" into Aarseth's distinction between scriptons and textons?