Upload
oliver-tomlinson
View
225
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
1/30
Self Directed ProjectVisualising Conversation
Oliver Tomlinson - Summer term 2010
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
2/30
Oliver Tomlinson - Summer term 20102
Contents
Discovery phase
Transformation phase
Making phase
Introduction 4
Instant messaging 5
Micro blogging 8
Forums 10
Data visualisation 11
The data set 16
Visualisation concepts 19
Word clouds 24
Final visualisation 26
Potential interface 27
Forum growth 28
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
3/30
Self Directed Project: Visualising Conversation 3
DISCOVERYTRANSFORMATIONMAKING
DISCOVERYTRANSF
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
4/30
Oliver Tomlinson - Summer term 20104
Introduction
This report aims to understand the elements of digitally based
conversation between a number of users, discovering current
methods, and applying a style to an existing chat thread
found on Mac Forums (www.mac-forums.com).
Real-time web conversation via instant messaging and
chat forums is a method of collaboration used by people
throughout the world. It can be used for collaboration and
knowledge share, providing instant feedback to users via a
Graphical User Interface (GUI).
As technologies develop, so does the power of digital
messaging, therefore GUIs need to become more advanced
to enable the users to understand all the information available
to them.
For this assignment, digital conversation and its graphical
representation has been organised into the following groups:
Instant messaging Micro blogging
Forums
Data visualisation
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
5/30
DISCOVERYTRANSFORMATIONMAKING
Self Directed Project: Visualising Conversation 5
Instant messaging
Messages sent in real time, often between just two
individuals, and can be accompanied by live video.
Depending on the platform, users can send les to each
other and personalise messages with emoticons - small
pictograms to add an emotion or feeling to text.
A screenshot of Skype used on a Mac
Panel showing current live
chats, one in this case
Chat history is shown in a linear format
with oldest at the top, and previous
conversations greyed out. The users
are dened by two colours and their
name in a bar. The next sentence is
typed in the lowest panel, made visible
by a slightly larger type size.
The video call can be used
instead of typing messages.
A red button shows its
active, and also represents
the hang up button.
The main Skype interface illustrates
which friends are online using colour and
pictograms. Users may also personalise
their ID photo and add a mood message.
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
6/30
Oliver Tomlinson - Summer term 20106
In addition to the standard emails the user
can receive, the user can start a Wave. AWave is a more interactive email chat thread,
allowing participants to engage at any stage
of the conversation. Instead of the linear, top-down approach
to illustrating a conversation, a user can
comment at any point and their message is
posted there.
The Reading University Book designers are
currently using the interface as a message
board, rather than a chat tool.
An interesting feature that is not found in
Skype, is the ability to see someone typing
in real time. In most instant messaging
situations the user will type the messageand press send, this interupts the ow of
conversation if its a long message.
Google Wave; this one is for the Book Designers
at Reading University.
Google claim that Wave is a revolutionised email
tool. Its been added to the instant messaging
section of this report as that is one of functions
designed into its interface.
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
7/30
DISCOVERYTRANSFORMATIONMAKING
Self Directed Project: Visualising Conversation 7
Conversation is between two people, dened
by their name in differing colours. GUI isvery similar to Skype, using a linear format,
text area at the bottom, and an icon to
show when each person is typing. Instead
of a coloured bar separating each entry,
Facebook chat uses a thin line.
Facebook has an instant messaging function,
allowing the user to see which friends are logged
into chat. Friends are shown with their individual
picture and a status icon, e.g. away.
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
8/30
Oliver Tomlinson - Summer term 20108
Micro blogging
For this project, mico blogging is dened as messages sent
to a larger community, either completely public or to a
smaller group. The messages are often published to a group
rather than individuals, and contain thoughts, news or links of
the originator.
Within Twitter the user follows others and, in
turn, can also be followed. When the user posts
a message it is displayed on all their followers
pages.
Messages are limited to 140 characters with
links shown in blue (as do all clickable elements).
Tweetie is a desk-top application for using
Twitter without opening a web browser. The
GUI is quite different, with Tweetie using more
icons to illustrate functions. The text ow is still
bottom-up as with Twitter, but user messages
are aligned right to dene them more from the
list . Tweetie also separates messages in speech
bubbles, a strong visual cue of conversation.
Like chat interfaces, users
personalise their prole with
pictures - this helps dene themin long lists. A big difference is
the ow of messages; blogging
seems to ow bottom-up with
new messages and posting space
at the top.
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
9/30
DISCOVERYTRANSFORMATIONMAKING
Self Directed Project: Visualising Conversation 9
Facebook News Feed for Oliver Tomlinson
The Facebook News Feed is bottom-up
messaging. Like Twitter, users can aim a
message at a particular person in the publicdomain, but its mostly used for wri ting news or
thoughts of the user.
Where Twitter replies to a blog/message are
always shown at the top, making it difcult to
follow a thread, Facebook will align replies under
the original.
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
10/30
Oliver Tomlinson - Summer term 201010
Forums
Forums cross over the features found in micro blogging
and instant messaging; they are a specialised conversation
focussing around a particular topic, whilst allowing a direct,
real-time response to individuals.
www.mac-forums.com, is a forum for Apple
enthusiasts. This is where the data will be found
for the visual designed in this project.
Users drill down into forum topicswhich are displayed most recent
at the top, after overall notices or
stickies in this case.
Once within a topic, a subscribing member can
post comments, which now ow top down.
When quoting an individual, messages
incorporate the quoted text within the new
message, unlike the Facebook micro blogging
method of placing the new message under the
original quote.
Layout is hindered by the excess user prole
information and various icons and logos.
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
11/30
DISCOVERYTRANSFORMATIONMAKING
Self Directed Project: Visualising Conversation 11
Data visualisation
Data visualisation of actual person to person conversation is
now used as a tool to label, categorise, link and nd trends in
speech or debate.
Capitol Words assess word frequency in the US
congressional record to produce word clouds
or tag clouds. These data graphics use typesize and colour to differentiate and highlight
commonly used words. The list view compares
frequency using a bar graph method.
When the user clicks a particular word they are
taken to a page illustrating trends of usage in a
line graph, and history on an interactive map.
Word clouds are a useful overview of large
amounts of conversation data or text, giving the
reader a summary of key topics and the ability to
drill down into the information.
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
12/30
Oliver Tomlinson - Summer term 201012
Visuals of the Conversation Clock taken from
a paper entitled, Seeing More: Visualizing Audio
Cues, by Tony Bergstrom and Karrie Karahalios.
As conversation around a table is recorded, a
visualisation is produced to illustrate levels of
input over time, with individuals colour coded.
However, as the conversation develops the lines
move away from the centre, increasing in size
and line weight due to perspective and therefore
not providing comparable data.
Another problem would be assessing which
conversation promoted a direct response,
as no links are shown. As a tool for overall
conversation dominance it may succeed by
showing a wash of one particular colour.
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
13/30
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
14/30
Oliver Tomlinson - Summer term 201014
The Worm is best described by Wikipedia:
The worm is a market research analysis
tool developed by Roy Morgan Research
(who called it The Reactor), with the
purpose of gauging an audiences reaction
to some visual stimuli over some time
period. The name worm describes its
visual appearance - as a line graph snaking
up or down.
The Worm portrays a continuous opinion
of the viewers. It would be interesting to
compare it with the actual text dialogue,highlighting who is talking at the time.
Obama and McCain average opinions during atelevised debate. This graphic would need to
be seen along-side more data to make a true
comparison, in its current format it is of little use.
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
15/30
Self Directed Project: Visualising Conversation 15
DISCOVERYTRANSFORMATIONMAKING
ERYTRANSFORMATIONMA
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
16/30
Oliver Tomlinson - Summer term 201016
The data set
The data set used for this report was found on the Mac
Forums website (www.mac-forums.com); it is a thread
relating to Apple rumours and reports, with the topic name
iPhone Leak: Police Seize Gizmodo Computers.
The following pages show the key text and information
provided by this online conversation thread. By analysing
the information given, it should be possible to produce
a visualisation that highlights themes and particular
interactions between the users.
Web link
Web links
The actual thread is shown in a l inear format,
with each message being posted under the
previous in time order. This spread shows web
links (red arrows) and quote links in blue.
The current format makes it difcult to see how
the conversation breaks into micro threads
under the start topic, and also which members
are talking to each other. Even though some
messages quote others, there are also links
made without direct quotes.
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
17/30
Self Directed Project: Visualising Conversation 17
DISCOVERYTRANSFORMATIONMAKING
End of thread
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
18/30
Oliver Tomlinson - Summer term 201018
Name: -FlyAuburn-
Joined: Feb 25, 2010Location: Unknown
Posts: 12
Name: bargsbeer
Joined: Oct 22, 2007
Location: Tampa , FL
Posts: 1,177
Name: lifeisabeach
Joined: Sep 30, 2007
Location: Unknown
Posts: 2,030
Name: MacEnVy
Joined: Nov 30, 2009
Location: Unknown
Posts: 7
Name: the8thark
Joined: Jan 27, 2007
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 2,774
Name: DriftNismo
Joined: Dec 26, 2008
Location: London, UK
Posts: 211
Name: Doug b
Joined: Jun 22, 2008
Location: Unknown
Posts: 851
Name: dtravis7
Joined: Jan 04, 2005Location: Modesto, Ca.
Posts: 17,142
Name: Horness
Joined: Jan 23, 2008
Location: Great Britain
Posts: 41
Name: Village Idiot
Joined: Apr 04, 2007
Location: Durtburg, WV
Posts: 2,283
Name: cwa107
Joined: Dec 21, 2006
Location: Middletown, PA
Posts: 16,558
Name: Zoolook
Joined: Sep 24, 2006
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posts: 2,398
Name: NumberSix
Joined: May 01, 2008
Location: New York
Posts: 148
1 8
2 9
3 10
4 11
5 12
6 13
7
Thread participants
The participants of this particular thread are shown below;
their input varies and is often aimed at particular people,
geographic location may have an impact on the time of day
they make comments.
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
19/30
Self Directed Project: Visualising Conversation 19
DISCOVERYTRANSFORMATIONMAKING
06:00
07:00
08:00
- -
the8thark 05:54
DriNismo 07:03
DriNismo 07:25
Doug b 08:24
the8thark 08:34
the8thark 07:12
05
06
06
07
05
05
This diagram shows a timescale for the thread, starting
from the top, and how threads are linked to each other and
back to the start. Participant input is shown on the left of
the timescale. Even though links are shown, the linear form
does not clearly illustrate tangents from the original thread;
however, increased participation can be seen along the
timeline towards the bottom.
12
03
03
02:00
03:00
04:00
05:00
06:00
07:00
08:00
09:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
13:00
14:00
15:00
-FlyAuburn- 02:46
bargsbeer 03:04
lifeisabeach 03:30
MacEnvy 03:49
the8thark 05:54
DriNismo 07:03
DriNismo 07:25
Doug b 08:24
the8thark 08:34
dtravis7 09:14
the8thark 07:12
Horness 11:25
Village Idiot 12:31
cwa107 13:42bargsbeer 13:46Zoolock 13:48NumberSix 13:50Zoolock 13:52
Zoolock 14:39
NumberSix 14:02
bargsbeer 14:08
lifeisabeach 14:29
lifeisabeach 14:36lifeisabeach 14:38dtravis7 14:42
bargsbeer14:35
01
02
03
04
05
06
06
07
08
05
05
09
10
11
02
1312
12
13
02
03
08
02
Arcs on the right show links, either quoted or
back to the original topic. As the comments all
originate from the original topic, the large arcs
may not be required, or could be shown in a
different way.
Visualisation concepts
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
20/30
Oliver Tomlinson - Summer term 201020
IDEA: Conversation may not need to follow
a strict time frame. The user only requires
to know if a message came before or after
a point, and how it ts with the rest of the
conversation. Further concepts should remove
relative time scale and focus on what the user
wants to achieve from the visualisation, i.e. an
understanding of a chat thread, its key themes,
key participants, and chat micro threads.
Following from the previous diagram, this one starts from
the centre and works out using circles to dene the time. It
is easy to see how threads emerge from the original posting,
and then turn into separate threads. Even though web
viewing would allow a zoom capability, the sparse layout
would still cause legibility issues when trying to gain an
overall perspective of the conversation.
03:00
04:00
05:00
06:00
07:00
08:00
09:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
13:00
14:00
02:46
14:42
2
3
4
5
6
6
7
8
2
913
1312
13
8
10
11
212
2
8
323
3
12
12
55
1
5
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
21/30
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
22/30
Oliver Tomlinson - Summer term 201022
To reduce the diagram sprawl over time, this concept uses
equal length joins between the thread entries, but to illustrate
the time, different thicknesses are used - the thicker the join
the less time between the entries, as if the link has been
squashed closer.
Halos around the comments indicate the length of
the entry based on its word count. Adding this factor
enables the reader to assess which entries are just
short comments, and which ones may contain a little
more information.
2
3
45
8
9
10 12
13
12
13
11 2
12
82
12
3
13
2
33
2
7
6
5
5
6
5
1
IDEA: The joins are a little too strong and
do not show when the latest comment was
made, it may be worth fading old ones using a
transparency based on the time from the initial
comment. Links to external websites also need
to be highlighted.
A word cloud at the end of each long thread
may provide the user with quick reference to
where the conversation is headed.
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
23/30
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
24/30
Oliver Tomlinson - Summer term 201024 Oliver Tomlinson - Spring term 2010
Word clouds are currently a popular method of illustrating key
words found in text extracts or conversation on the internet.
These clouds have been produced from a stripped-down
version of the thread, excluding quoted sections, using www.
wordle.net (settings: black and white colour, 50 word max,
Telephoto font, rounder edges and horizontal layout).
The top cloud uses all the text in the thread
excluding names, times, and quotations. The
lower cloud uses all mentions of names.
Word clouds
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
25/30
Self Directed Project: Visualising Conversation 25
DISCOVERYTRANSFORMATIONMAKING
RMATIONMAKING
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
26/30
Oliver Tomlinson - Summer term 201026
Final
visualisation
2
3
45
8
9
10 12
13
12
13
11 2
12
82
12
3
13
2
33
2
7
6
5
5
6
5
1
8
NOTE: Circles represent individual
comments, with numbers relevant to
participants. The orange circle area
dimension is directly proportional to
the word count within the posting.
Age of post
< hour
< hour
- 2 hours
- 2 hours
2 - 4 hours
2 - 4 hours
4 - 8 hours
4 - 8 hours
> 8 hours
> 8 hours
Time delay from previous post
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
27/30
Self Directed Project: Visualising Conversation 27
DISCOVERYTRANSFORMATIONMAKING
2
3
45
8
9
10 12
13
12
13
11 2
12
82
12
3
13
2
3
2
7
6
5
5
1
8
09:0008:0007:0006:0005:00 10:00 11:00 12:00
14:42
iPhone Leak: Police seize
Gizmodo computers Started today at 02:4651 replies | 781 views | 13 participants
Mac-Forums.com > General Discussions > Apple Rumors and Reports
as they found out it was a real
prototype.
Today, 07:12
Participant 8: the8thark
yes they returned it only after pulling
it apart and posting pics of it all over
the internet.
Today, 07:25
Participant 6: DriftNismo
Quote:
Originally Posted by the8thark
yes they returned it only after pulling
it apart and posting pics of it all over
the internet.
Yes, but they can easily argue they
weren't sure whether it really was an
Apple prototype, seeing as there's so
many knock-offs around.
Today, 08:24
Participant 7: Doug b
Let's assume for a moment that it's
not a hoax, that they really had
nothing to do with the phone other
than looking it over for a proper
evaluation. Ya know where they'd be
absolutely wrong in all of this ?
Exactly. To post pics of it all over the
net, if it was indeed a real prototype
of a new iPhone. I mean, who would
be STUPID enough not to know what
repercussions would befall them after
tinkering with something which has
an incredible amount of NDA's put
upon it ?
Everybody, especially those in the
tech industry, knows to what extent
Apple gets their corporate legalsystem involved in where their NDA's
and such are concerned. And no one
would be fool enou h to tr and
3
4
5
6
5
6
21
Potential interface
An interactive touch screen allows the user to drag along
a timescale and watch the forum thread developments asa graphic representation. Touching a post in the visual will
highlight the text on the right, and visa versa. The word cloud
could be linked to the whole text or up to a user dened spot.
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
28/30
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
29/30
8/7/2019 Visualising Conversation
30/30