A tool for collaborative online dialogue : CodeZebraOS

i Statement of Originality ii Table of Figures ix Acknowledgements xv Foreword 16 Artist’s Statement: An Overview of Thirty Years of Practice 16 Theatre and Performance Art 17 Documentary 18 Social History and Social Science Methods 19 The Women’s Labour History Project 19 Autobiography 20 Media Art Theory 20 Curatorial Practice 21 Collaboration: ArtSci and Technology at the Banff New Media Institute 21 Summary of Relevant Practice 22 The Evolution of the CodeZebra Project 23 A Brief Description of the Inception of the CodeZebra Project 23 Current Status 26 Introduction 28 I. Objective and Research Questions 28 I.i Unique Contribution 28 I.ii The Need for the Research 29 I.iii Fields of Knowledge 32 I.iv The CodeZebraOS Development Process 34 I.v The Structure of the Thesis 37 Chapter One 40 1.0 Objectives, Aims and Contributions 40 1.1 Why this Research is Timely 43 1.2 Bridging Data Visualisation and Digital Media Studies 45 1.3 Literature Review and Review of Relevant Art Works and Software 48 1.4 Data Visualisation 48 1.4.1 Artists and Data Visualisation 50 1.4.2 Computer Science and Conversation Visualisation Software 52 1.4.3 Digital Media Studies 54 1.4.4 ArtSci 56 1.4.5 Aesthetics 58 iv 1.4.6 Design Methods Research 59 1.5 Software Development Approaches 60 1.6 Design and Dramaturgy 62 1.7 Collaboration Studies 62 1.8 Software 63 1.8. 1 Terminology 63 1.8. 2 Voronoi/Clonal Mosaics 63 1.8. 3 Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Neural Networks 64 1.8. 4 Programming Languages 66 1.9 Technical Development and Software Strategies 66 1.10 The CodeZebra Method 67 1.11 Thesis Structure 69 Chapter Two: Theory Contributing to CodeZebraOS 71 2.0 Introduction to the Chapter 71 2.1 ArtSci 72 2.1.1 Zoomorphism 73 2.1.2 Realism and Truth 76 2.2 Cognitive Science 78 2.2 Aesthetics 80 2.2.1 Natural Patterns 83 2.2.2 Play 85 2.3 Digital Media Studies 86 2.3.1 Defining Interactivity 86 2.3.2 The Analysis of Roles within Techno-culture 88 2.3.3 Roles and Performance in the online environment 92 2.3.4 Artists’ Performance Practices in the Online Environment 94 2.4 Collaboration Studies: Towards the CodeZebra Method 94 2.4.1 The Role of Emotion in Collaboration 98 2.4.2 The Analysis of Emotion 99 2.4.3 Measuring Emotion in Social Media 102 2.4.3 The Role of Conversation in Collaborative Processes and Social Media 103 2.5 Design Methods Research and Art 105 2.5. 1 Design Methods Research 106 2.5. 2 Using Design Methods Research for the CodeZebra Method 107 2.6 Participatory Design and the CodeZebra Method 108 2.7 Ethno-drama, Role Playing, and Dramaturgy 112 2.8 Usability Testing 114 2.9 Agile software development paradigm 116 2. 10 Lessons from Theory 118 Chapter Three: Data Visualisation: Debates and Practices 119 3.0 Introduction 119 3.1 What are Data? 119 3.2 What is Data Visualisation? 120 v 3.3 The Growing Importance of the Field of Data Visualisation 121 3.4 The Growth of Data Visualisation in Social Media 124 3.5 Visualising Online Conversation 135 3.6 Debates in Data Visualisation 135 3.6. 1 Cognitive Science and Visualisation 136 3.6. 2 The Data Visualisation Design Process 137 3.6. 3 Realism, Subjectivity and Context in Data Visualisation 138 3.6. 4 The Politics of Data Visualisation 141 3.6. 5 Is Data Visualisation a Technology, Science or Art Form? 143 3.6. 6 Aesthetics 145 3.6. 7 Implications of these Debates 149 3.7 Artists as Inventors of Technologies 149 3.8 Artists’ Data Visualisation Practice 151 3.8. 1 Scientific Visualisation by Artists 151 3.8. 2 Visualising Language 152 3.8. 3 Data Deconstruction 155 3.8. 4 Data Visualisation Tools by Artists 160 3.9 The Emergence of a Common Language 163 3.10 Classifications: Tables to Summarise Data Visualisation 166 3.11 Artists' Contribution to the Field of Data Visualisation: Conclusions 171 3.12 Data Visualisation Characteristics and CodeZebraOS 172 Chapter Four: Conversation Visualisation Approaches and Comparisons 174 4.0 Introduction 174 4.1 Computational Conversations 174 4.2 Conversation 174 4.3 Modelling Knowledge 175 4.3 Bridging Conversation and Knowledge 177 4.4 Online Roles, Emotions and the Connection to Knowledge 178 4.5 Conversation Visualisation Tools: A Brief Survey 180 4.5. 1 Chat Rooms that are Virtual Worlds 180 4.5. 2 Text Analysis Visualisation Tools 181 4.5. 3 Text Analysis Visualisation Tools Applied to Social Media 181 4.5. 4 Knowledge Management Tools 182 4.5. 5 Tools to Visualise, Manage and Engage in Conversational Process 183 4.6 Selected Examples of Conversation Visualisation Software 186 4.6. 1 Babble 186 4.6. 2 Thread Arcs 188 4.6. 3 Fugue, Coterie, Netscan 189 4.6. 4 Chat Circles 190 4.6. 5 CrystalChat and Keystrokes 192 4.7 Inspired by CodeZebraOS 192 4.7. 1 Bubba Talk 192 4.7. 2 Database for Analysing Online Chat 193 4.7. 3 FlowerGarden 194 4.8 Comparison of Conversation Visualisation Tools 195