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mythusmage

One thing to consider regarding content and context is experience. What previous experience does one bring to the table. In my field of interest (roleplaying games or RPGS) what one expects out of an adventure differs depending on whether one learned about adventures from a computer game, or old pulp magazines.

Sticking with RPGs as an example, in the RPG industry they are seen as games in the classical sense. It is acknowledged that they are non-competitive games, but even so it is thought that they must have such things as game and player balance. The mere idea that a roleplaying game can do away with balance and still be an enjoyable experience makes some people very uncomfortable.

Or take the Burgess Shale Fauna. When first discovered the animals were slotted into the then current phyla. It took about 80 years until a new study of the fossils revealed the existence of previously unknown phyla.

Context does color how one sees content, how one processes the information provided. You can't avoid it. But, by knowing the full context surrounding one's encounter with new content hopefully one can a more accurate assesment of it.

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