Punctuation Confusion

It seems to me that Steven Johnson is confused as to what the definition of "punctuation" really is. In his book Interface Culture, he tells his readers that the hypertext link is the first truly new form of punctuation in centuries. I can see where he's going with that statement, however, I feel he is misdirected in his wording.
Words matter. Period. Truly, there exist no synonyms in the English language - every word has a distinct meaning, thus serves a distinct purpose. By using the term "punctuation" to describe the hypertext link, Johnson has committed an error of wording. The term punctuation has a specific meaning, and as the hypertext link is composed of both letters and punctuation (http, backslashes, and a colin), it cannot be classified as punctuation, just as you cannot use any term in its own definition.
That having been said, I feel that the hypertext link does constitute a revolution in today's technotext world. Hypertext links are everywhere - heck, my parents have their own website (http://www.andrewsatwestbrook.com - for anyone who's interested). It is a symbol that is deeply ingrained in today's culture, and is becoming ever more invasive throughout the world.
However, calling the hypertext link "punctuation" is a serious misnomer - it deserves its own category, since it occupies its own unique position in society.