The Internet is primarily a non-hierarchial system ruled by metonymy. Hierarchy is not replaced on the Internet but is changed and presented in different ways.

Operating systems are based on a hierarchial file system that uses directories that expand into sub-directories and applications. When you run Windows, you are given the option of accessing multiple paths of direction. By choosing a single path you are then led to a sub-path, or branch, from which other options and sub-paths are made available, each one leading to something that is increasingly different from the other options but linked by a single source. Here is a link which may further help to explain this from Manovich's website --1998 - Database as a Symbolic Form

A prime example of how hierarchy and branching-tree operates is a blog

According to Manovich, "the user of a branching interactive program becomes its co-author." (p. 128) By choosing to access the subpage, the viewer of the page acknowledges the previous page as a source and, thusly, a "co-author".

In doing so, the user changes the hierarchy of the Web page, thus making a web page neither completely hierarchy nor branching-tree for there can be no pure type as "there is no pure computer." (117)