(Excel) .NetMap A toolkit for Social Network Analysis

(Excel) .NetMap A toolkit for Social Network Analysis Microsoft Research Marc Smith (MSR Silicon Valley) Tony Capone (MSR Redmond) Natasa Milic-Frayling (MSR Cambridge) Eduarda Mendes Rodrigues (MSR Cambridge) Eric Gleave (U Washington) Adam Perer (U Maryland) Ben Shneiderman (U Maryland)

Goal: Make SNA easier Existing Social Network Tools are challenging for many novice users Tools like Excel are widely used Leveraging a spreadsheet as a host for SNA lowers barriers to network data analysis and display

Social Network Science of Science Study social network structure of email and web boards of different scientific communities Sociologist “What are the structures of communication in scientific discussions?” User Experience Computer Scientist Information Visualization Algorithmicist for Social Network Measures “What are the best UI/UX workflows for network analysis tools?” “What are the measures and algorithms needed for understanding networks?”

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The Ties that Blind? 5

The Ties that Blind? Reply-To Network Network at distance 2 for the most prolific author of the microsoft.public.internetexplorer.general newsgroup

7 Darwin Bell

The Ties that Blind? Pajek without modification can sometimes reveal structures of great interest.

Mapping Newsgroup Social Ties Microsoft.public.windowsxp.server.general Two “answer people” with an emerging 3 . rd 9

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Distinguishing attributes: Answer person – Outward ties to local isolates – Relative absence of triangles – Few intense ties Reply Magnet – Ties from local isolates often inward only – Sparse, few triangles – Few intense ties 11

Distinguishing attributes: Answer person – Outward ties to local isolates – Relative absence of triangles – Few intense ties Discussion person – Ties from local isolates often inward only – Dense, many triangles – Numerous intense ties 12

Clear and consistent signatures of an “Answer Person” 100 10 1 0 1 2 4 8 16 32 64 Light touch to numerous threads initiated by someone else Most ties are outward to local isolates Many more ties to small fish than big fish 13

Roles Project Answer Person, microsoft.public.windows.server.general Using Netscan data to derive social roles in Usenet Discussion, rec.kites Flame, alt.flame Next steps: quantify & explore in more depth Social Support, alt.support.divorce PUBLISHED in HICSS, JCMC, JoSS, IEEE Internet Communications (special issue on Social Networks) 14

Problem: No network chart in Excel

Problem: No network chart in Excel

.NetMap: Worksheets

.NetMap: Edges Worksheet

.NetMap: Vertices Worksheet

Marc’s Facebook Graph

Marc’s Facebook Graph

Create Subgraph Images

Select Graph Metrics

.NetMap Next Steps Enhanced layout controls – Smart selection of nodes Clustering and composite nodes – Add/remove a node to/from a cluster – Add/remove a node to/from a composite Zoom and scale networks Right-click behaviors Social Network data sources: – Facebook, Outlook, Messenger, etc.

Social Action – Adam Perer

Microsoft Research (EXCEL) .NETMAP http://www.codeplex.com/netmap [email protected]