Inhaltsangabe:Abstract: Building on approaches that have succeeded in applying semiotic principles and methodology to computer science, such as computer semiotics, computational semiotics, and semiotic interface engineering, this dissertation establishes a systematic account for those researchers who are ready to look at hypertext from a semiotic point of view. Rather than a new hypertext model, this work presents the prolegomena of a theory of hypertext semiotics, interlacing the existing models with the findings of semiotic research, on all levels of the textual, aural, visual, tactile and olfactory channels. A short history of hypertext, from its prehistory to today's state of the art systems and the current developments in the commercialized World Wide Web creates the context for this approach which should be seen as a fortification of the connection between the media semiotic approach and computer semiotics. While computer semioticians claim that the computer is a semiotic machine and Artificial Intelligence scientists underline the importance of semiotics for the construction of the next hypertext generation, this paper makes use of a much broader methodological basis. These findings are placed in the context of the commercialization of the Internet. Besides identifying the main challenges for eCommerce from the viewpoint of hypertext semiotics, the author concentrates on information goods and the current limitations for a new economy, such as restrictive intellectual property and copyright laws. A semiotic analysis of iMarketing techniques and the Toywar complete the dissertation. Zusammenfassung: Diese Dissertation legt einen systematischen Ansatz für all jene Forscher dar, die bereit sind, Hypertext aus einer semiotischen Perspektive zu betrachten. Durch die Verknüpfung existierender Hypertext-Modelle mit den Resultaten aus der Semiotik auf allen Sinnesebenen der textuellen, auditiven, visuellen, taktilen und geruchlichen Wahrnehmung skizziert der Autor Prolegomena einer Hypertext-Semiotik-Theorie, anstatt ein völlig neues Hypertext-Modell zu präsentieren. Eine Einführung in die Geschichte der Hypertexte, von ihrer Vorgeschichte bis zum heutigen Entwicklungsstand und den gegenwärtigen Entwicklungen im kommerzialisierten World Wide Web bilden den Rahmen für diesen Ansatz, welcher als Fundierung des Brückenschlages zwischen Mediensemiotik und Computer-Semiotik angesehen werden darf. Während Computer-Semiotiker wissen, dass der Computer [...]