Information Design Patterns

As a follow-up to Moritz Stefaner's 2007 master's thesis, Visual tools for the socio–semantic web, as highlighted in Elastic Tag Mapping and Data Ownership, I am blogging here another noteworthy thesis coming out of the same university.

The Form of Facts and Figures is an unpublished master's thesis presented in early May, 2008 by Christian Behrens at Potsdam University of Applied Sciences, Department of Design.

"The topic of my Master thesis project is the development of a design taxonomy for data visualization and information design. In its core, the project consists of a collection of 55 design patterns that describe the functional aspects of graphic components for the display, behavior and user interaction fo complex infographics. The thesis [when made available will be] in the form of a 200-page book that additionally includes a profound historical records of information design as well as an introduction into the research field of design patterns."

There is a slide-show presentation of parts of his unpublished book at niceone.org.

In the meantime Behrens has currently posted 26 visualization examples from his thesis coupled with descriptions, layouts, implementations and real-world examples to a separate, well-designed website called Information Design Patterns. These very interesting data visualizations run the gamut from Thread Arcs to Data Tips to Stacked Area Charts to Facet Browsing to the following Bubble Chart ....

Information Design Patterns website

Again, but this time essentially in Behrens own words, this website is a design pattern browser consisting of a set of modules that reflect the characteristics of the pattern systematics described in his thesis, and providing the user with a set of useful tools to navigate and explore the collection.

Efficient monitoring of objects in object-oriented database system which interacts cooperatively with client programs

With the rise of the Semantic Web and Cloud Computing, it is a premise of this blog that the most efficient methods - for the authoring and sharing of trustworthy information within social networks and along complex product supply chains - are far and away object-oriented methods.

The following quoted text is taken from a Hewlett-Packard patent filed in 1988 and issued in 1992. It is entitled Method of monitoring changes in attribute values of object in an object-oriented database and still reads fresh even today.

• "Monitoring [of data] imposes a heavy computational and input/output overhead on a database system, especially if the system is large and a number of values are being monitored at the same time for several different clients. Various methods have been proposed to minimize this overhead.
  
  For example, in one such system an 'alerter' is called if specified boolean conditions are satisfied [see Efficiently Monitoring Relational Databases in references]. A 'retrieve always' mechanism in another system causes queries to be re-executed upon each update to specified relations [see Triggers and inference in database systems in references].
  
  Systems of 'triggers' have been proposed for relational database systems; such triggers typically invoke a database procedure upon updates of user-specified base relations [see System R: A Relational Approach to Database Management in references].
  
  A technique which is somewhat similar to the trigger system is the use of a 'declarative integrity constraint,' in which a proffered update to the database is rejected if specified boolean conditions are not satisfied at commit time [see Implementation of integrity constraints and views by query modification in references].
  
  Another technique, access-oriented programming, is implemented in some object-oriented languages such as 'LOOPS'. A message to set values of instance variables is intercepted by means of a user-provided trigger procedure which may in turn set or display some other value [see Integrating Access-Oriented Programming Into a Multiparadigm Environment in references]. The trigger procedures are dynamically added and removed from running systems to avoid interfering with other system logic [see Active Objects: An Access Oriented Framework for Object-Oriented Languages in references].
  
  Finally, expert systems such as "SYNTEL" and "OPS5" provide a method of monitoring virtual memory data retrieved from persistent data [see Syntel: Knowledge Programming Using Functional Representations in references].
  
  Each of these proposed methods offers certain benefits, primarily in the context of the particular environment for which it was designed. However, there remains a need for an efficient way to monitor objects in an object-oriented database system which interacts cooperatively with client programs."

Tim O'Reilly: Why search competition isn't the point

Tim O'Reilly is widely credited within Silicon Valley with coining the term 'Web 2.0'.

He is not a software engineer. He graduated from Harvard in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts in the classics.

From the outside looking in, the company he founded, O'Reilly Media, looks like either or both an online publisher of books and conference related materials, or as major conference producer. O'Reilly prefers to describe it as a technology transfer company, "changing the world by spreading the knowledge of innovators."

Photo of Tim O'Reilly by takeshi

O'Reilly maintains a blog he calls O'Reilly Radar and the other day he posted an entry he called Why search competition isn't the point. It happens to include viewpoints I share.

Shared viewpoint #1 -

• "To focus on search is to miss the big picture. Web 2.0 (or whatever the fullness of the Internet Operating System ends up being called) is far bigger than search .... The key question is what kind of platform we're collectively building. There is strong evidence that the platform that's emerging is more like Linux than it is like Windows. That is, no one player is going to own all the pieces. But that could change if someone owned enough of the pieces that everyone else became dependent on them. So I'd be much more concerned about a single player rolling up unrelated and complementary pieces of the larger internet [operating system] till they owned critical mass in multiple areas than I would be about a single player owning a best of breed application in one area or another." [bold emphasis added]
  

Shared viewpoint #2 - 

• "The race is on to own certain classes of core data: location, identity, calendaring of public events, product identifiers and namespaces. In many cases, where there is significant cost to create the data, there may be an opportunity for an Intel Inside style play, with a single source for the data. In others, the winner will be the company that first reaches critical mass via user aggregation, and turns that aggregated data into a system service." [bold emphasis added]
  

Shared viewpoint #3 -

• "Google's search dominance will be toppled by a disruptive innovation that changes the game, not by playing catch-up at the same game. The challenges that keep Google on their toes, innovating in search, will come from outside the current system." [bold emphasis added]
  

From my vantage point, what Tim O'Reilly is talking about is a good 'ol paradigm shift. Paradigm shifts come from 'outside of the box'. When they happen it is as if 'nobody saw it coming'. But, once they happen, 20/20 hindsight reveals that the 'writing was on the wall' well in advance of the shift.

In advance of this paradigm shift, the writing that I see on the wall is simply this:

"Data ownership matters"

 This simple premise is the raison d'etre for The Pardalis Data Ownership Blog.

US Patent 7,062,705: Techniques for forming electronic documents comprising multiple information types (Cisco Technology, Inc.)

Title: Techniques for forming electronic documents comprising multiple information types
Patent Number: US Patent 7,062,705
Issued: June 13, 2006
Filed: July 18, 2001
Parent case:

This application is related to and claims domestic priority from prior U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 60/252,378, filed Nov. 20, 2000. This application is related to US Patent 6,665,662 (Cisco Technology, Inc.) issued December 16, 2003 and entitled "Query Translation System for Retrieving Business Vocabulary Terms" by inventors M. Kirkwood et al. This application is related to US Patent 6,983,288 (Cisco Technology, Inc.) issued on January 3, 2006 and entitled "Multiple Layer Information Object Repository" by inventors M. Kirkwood et al. This application is related to US Patent 7,007,018 (Cisco Technology, Inc.) issued on February 28, 2006 and entitled "Business Vocabulary Data Storage Using Multiple Inter-Related Hierarchies" by inventors M. Kirkwood et al. This application is related to US Patent 7,103,607 (Cisco Technology, Inc.) issued on September 5, 2006 entitled "Business Vocabulary Data Retrieval Using Alternative Forms" by inventors M. Kirkwood et al.

Inventor(s): Kirkwood, Michael J. et al.
Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
Other references at issuance: n/a
Referenced after issuance: n/a
Blogger comment:

There were 44 references to prior patents and pending applications at issuance, including US Patent 6665662 referenced above. The remaining 43 references are unremarkable for the scope and purposes of this blog.

An advanced search at USPTO online on May 27, 2008 for distinguishing references to this patent after its issuance using ref/7062705 reveals 0 references. A more refined search reveals no patents deemed relevant for the scope and purposes of this blog.

Abstract:

The present invention generally relates to data processing in the field of electronic document creation. The invention relates more specifically to defining document types in terms of information types related to stored object information objects for producing consistent documents in any form of presentation.

Independent claims (as numbered):

1. A method of forming electronic documents, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of: storing a plurality of information types for describing categories of information that are capable of being used in electronic documents; storing a plurality of document types, each document type comprising a unique set of information types of the plurality of information types; storing a plurality of units of information, each unit of information associated with an information type of the plurality of information types, wherein each unit of information of the plurality of units of information includes any of any form of markup text, an application program, a Web service, a query for a database, a vector graphic, an image, audio data, video data, and other binary data; and producing a document based on integrating a particular document type comprising a particular set of information types, wherein the particular document type includes first data indicating a first information type of the particular set of information types as a primary information type, a first set of units of information, each unit of information of the first set associated with a corresponding information type in the particular set of information types, wherein each unit of information of the first set is among the plurality of units of information, and one or more n-ary relationships that express the particular document type and the first set of units of information, wherein said step of producing the document is not performed until the first set of units of information includes a first unit of information associated with the first information type.

32. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for forming electronic documents, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of: storing a plurality of information types for describing categories of information that are capable of being used in electronic documents; storing a plurality of document types, each document type comprising a unique set of information types of the plurality of information types; storing a plurality of units of information, each unit of information associated with an information type of the plurality of information types, wherein each unit of information of the plurality of units of information includes any of any form of markup text, an application program, a Web service, a query for a database, a vector graphic, an image, audio data, video data, and other binary data; and producing a document based on integrating a particular document type comprising a particular set of information types, wherein the particular document type includes first data indicating a first information type of the particular set of information types as a primary information type, a first set of units of information, each unit of information of the first set associated with a corresponding information type in the particular set of information types, wherein each unit of information of the first set is among the plurality of units of information, and one or more n-ary relationships that express the particular document type and the first set of units of information, wherein said step of producing the document is not performed until the first set of units of information includes a first unit of information associated with the first information type.

33. A system for forming electronic documents, comprising: a means for storing a plurality of information types for describing categories of information that are capable of being used in electronic documents; a means for storing a plurality of document types, each document type comprising a unique set of information types of the plurality of information types; a means for storing a plurality of units of information, each unit of information associated with an information type of the plurality of information types, wherein each unit of information of the plurality of units of information includes any of any form of markup text, an application program, a Web service, a query for a database, a vector graphic, an image, audio data, video data, and other binary data; and a means for producing a document based on integrating a particular document type comprising a particular set of information types, wherein the particular document type includes first data indicating a first information type of the particular set of information types as a primary information type, a first set of units of information, each unit of information of the first set associated with a corresponding information type in the particular set of information types, wherein each unit of information of the first set is among the plurality of units of information, and one or more n-ary relationships that express the particular document type and the first set of units of information, wherein the document is not produced until the first set of units of information includes a first unit of information associated with the first information type.

34. A system for forming electronic documents, comprising: a computer-readable medium carrying: a plurality of information types for describing categories of information that are capable of being used in electronic documents; a plurality of document types, each document type comprising a unique set of information types of the plurality of information types; and a plurality of units of information, each unit of information associated with an information type of the plurality of information types, wherein each unit of information of the plurality of units of information includes any of any form of markup text, an application program, a Web service, a query for a database, a vector graphic, an image, audio data, video data, and other binary data; and one or more processors configured to perform the step of producing a document based on integrating a particular document type comprising a particular set of information types, wherein the particular document type includes first data indicating a first information type of the particular set of information types as a primary information type, a first set of units of information, each unit of information of the first set associated with a corresponding information type in the particular set of information types, wherein each unit of information of the first set is among the plurality of units of information, and one or more n-ary relationships that express the particular document type and the first set of units of information, wherein the document is not produced until the first set of units of information includes a first unit of information associated with the first information type.

Elastic Tag Mapping and Data Ownership

Here is a screen shot (and accompanying hyperlink) to a demonstration overview of the visualization and interaction experiments produced by Moritz Stefaner for his 2007 master's thesis, Visual tools for the socio–semantic web.*

 

Elastic Tag Map Demo

When you run this demo, click on any one of the data sets in the drop down box in the upper right-hand corner. The screen shot above is from the 'avatar_1' data set but there are fourteen data sets in all.

Notice in the upper left-hand corner that you can choose to view the tag mapping in either 2-D or 1-D.

Run your pointer over any of the mapped words or terms. Chose one ... see what happens when you grab it and move it ... and see how other terms remain connected with the chosen word according to frequency. Really cool!

There are actually two representations of frequency. One representation is according to the size of each connected word or term. The other is in the bar graph in the lower left-hand corner. When you run your point over that bar graph, you will also see additional frequency information according to the chosen word or term. Notice how this bar graph changes with the selection of a chosen term.

What does this have to do with data ownership?

At page 5 of his paper Stefaner says this:

"The digital turn and the explosive growth of possibilities for information access and publishing fundamentally changes our way of interaction with data, information and knowledge. This process is neither finished nor understood, but currently, generally observed phenomena are:

• an acceleration of information diffusion
• an increasing process of chunking information into small, reusable bits (micro–content)
• a shift towards a larger population of people producing and sharing information
• along with an increasing specialization of topics, interests and the according social niches
• leading overall to a massive growth of space for action, expression and attention available to every single individual" [emphasis added]
  

Imagine using what Stefaner demonstrates in his demo to easily ...

• visualize, and therefore govern, your own personal health records in whole or in granular parts (like immunizations or special health conditions),
  
• conduct an audit as to whether those physicians, hospitals, insurance companies, and other healthcare providers whom you have permitted to view all or granular parts of your personal health records are the only ones who have accessed those records, and
• determine the frequencies, dates and times of their accesses.

It is critical that with technological data ownership we also be provided with data visualization tools that make it easy to directly determine to our satisfaction whether, when and how frequently our data is being used and accessed according to our permissions. See and compare Personal Health Records, Data Portability and the Continuing Privacy Paradigm.

 
_____________________________________________________________ 

*If you think you might be interested in downloading Stefaner's master's thesis, please find it in the references to this blog entry.

Visual tools for the socio–semantic web
Author - Moritz Stefaner
Master’s Thesis
Published: June, 2007
Pages: 112 
PDF file size: 13.79 MB
Interface Design Programme
University of Applied Sciences, Potsdam
Supervisors: Prof. Boris Müller and Prof. Danijela Djokic.

Table of Contents:

1. OVERVIEW
2. ANALYSIS: THE EMERGING SOCIO–SEMANTIC WEB
2.1. THE RENAISSANCE OF THE SOCIAL WEB

• THE WEB AS A PLATFORM, SITES AS APPLICATIONS
• RICH INTERACTION, CASUALTY AND USER EXPERIENCE
• THE READ–WRITE WEB
• THE ANATOMY OF THE PARTICIPATORY WEB
• USER GENERATED CONTENT — OR METADATA?

2.2. THE LONG TAIL

• THE STATISTICAL DISTRIBUTION
• THE LONG TAIL OF WEB ECONOMICS

2.3. MICROCONTENT

• CHUNKS, SNIPPETS, MICROCONTENT
• PUBLISHING IMPLICIT INFORMATION

2.4. WEB FEEDS

• GO GET VS. COME TO ME
• WHAT ARE WEB FEEDS?
• USAGE PRACTICES
• PERSPECTIVES

2.5. TAGGING AND FOLKSONOMIES

• TAGGING SYSTEM DESIGN FEATURES
• A COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE ON TAGGING
• WHY TAGGING WORKS
• HOW ARE TAGS USED?

 2.6. A NEW VIEW ON METADATA

• THE SEMANTIC WEB
• PACE LAYERING
• CONCLUSION

3. GUIDELINES AND MAXIMES
4. SYNTHESIS: EXPERIMENTS, VISUAL ANALYTICS AND APPLICATION DESIGN.
4.1. EXPERIMENTS AND VISUAL ANALYTICS

• UNDERSTANDING TAGGING STRUCTURES
• TEMPORAL DYNAMICS OF TAGGING AND CONTENTS
• LIFESTREAMS AND MASH–UPS
• INTERSUBJECTIVITY AND COMMUNITY AGREEMENT

4.2. MULTI–FACETED FOCUS & CONTEXT FOR LONG–TAIL NAVIGATION

• ELASTIC LISTS FOR FACET BROWSERS
• FACET BROWSING FOR TAGGING STRUCTURES

4.3. KONDUIT—A MODEL FOR A WEB FEED HUB APPLICATION

• BACKGROUND
• KONDUIT — A CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR A WEB FEED HUB APPLICATION
• APPLICATION DESIGN

4.4. OUTLOOK
5. APPENDIX
5.1. ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
5.2. REFERENCES
5.3. EIDESSTATTLICHE ERKLÄRUNG