Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
users' interests vary greatly, hindering dialogue between commenting users, and mak-
ing it di
cult to gain information that matches the particular user's interests.
Online forums such as 2 Channel and 4chan do a better job of inducing communi-
cation with their interface, making it easy to access cross-boundary information based
on the user's interests. Yet, the linear format of these threads makes it di
cult to dis-
cern one conversation from another, obscures the topic itself, and deteriorates the utility
and relativity of the information posted. As a result, niche users are forced to gather
information through repeatedly searching with clever keywords or comparing multiple
websites. Having both users superficially interested in trendy topics and users with in-
depth knowledge on specific topics also causes miscommunication, misunderstandings,
and sometimes arguments, wasting precious time that could be spent on the hobby itself
to fruitless conversation.
As a means to visually support acquisition of information, visualization experts are
researching query development using Boolean algebra and Venn diagrams[5], ”VR-
VIBE,” a system that displays clusters of documents related to the user's interests[6],
”Vizster,” a service that graphically illustrates the connections between SNS users[7],
”VISTORY,” which balances public and private events on the same timeline[8], among
others. There are also services that facilitate acquisition of information by clever display
of information, such as Document Lens[9], Perspective Wall[10], Graphical Fisheye
View[11], and TreeMap[12][13]. However, these research projects do not pay enough
consideration to visualizing users' unique interests or supporting exchange of informa-
tion based on user interests.
In this article, I will make a proposal of a communication system that allows users
with niche interests to share information with each other, while also employing vi-
sualization to facilitate acquisition of knowledge across boundaries. This system will
graphically display specific information about other users' interests, including direc-
tion and depth, and show how this information relates to the user's knowledge on the
topic through nodes and timelines. By displaying the current interests of people with
similar direction and depth of interest in a topic, as well as acquiring and sharing de-
tailed information on that topic, this system aims to facilitate social interaction.
2
Discussion of System Design
Consideration to the requirements of a communication system that facilitates hobby-
related activity brings us to two conclusions: the necessity of a means to help users
acquire detailed information in multiple fields, as well as easily understandable repre-
sentation of the relation of this information to the users themselves.
In this system, visual representation of individual users' specific interests will be
achieved by colored beams radiating from circular user nodes (representing individual
users), whose color and length will change according to niche, as well as visualiz-
ing time spent on the interest by variation in the size of the circle. A list of the top
10 interests of the user will also be displayed. By referencing this information dur-
ing conversations, users will be able to better understand whether their counterpart is
widely interested in trendy topics or is deeply interested in a niche, as well as know how
much knowledge they have on the topic. Visualizing interests in this manner will reduce
