Dynamic network graphs

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On Twitter, @GiftedPhoenix asked about similar applications to TouchGraph recently, and this seemed like a good time to gather together information on the variety of applications in the special niche of network graphs. TouchGraph is a fascinating application that pulls information from Google on a given topic and builds a network graph or diagram of the result, dynamically as you watch.

Others based on a similar idea of mapping relationships are Debategraph, InFlow, LinksViewer, Mentionmap, NodeXL, VisualThesaurus, Visuwords. They all bring insights that you would never have a hope of gaining with searches or spreadsheets.


Debategraph[edit]

Debategraph2.jpg

Debategraph allows the visual tracking of the points made in a debate or discussion. You can move from node to node (debating point to debating point) and see new points raised as you do so. Hovering over a node shows more information.

InFlow[edit]

InFlow is a professional network analysis tool and their website cites these as uses:

InFlow.jpg
  • Team Building
  • Locating Expertise
  • Workforce Diversity
  • Organization Design
  • Internetwork Design
  • Diffusion of Innovations
  • Post-Merger Integration
  • Investigative Journalism
  • Knowledge Management
  • Leadership Development
  • Mapping Terrorist Networks
  • Industry Ecosystem Analysis
  • Discovering Key Opinion Leaders
  • Network Vulnerability Assessment
  • Community Economic Development
  • Discovering Communities of Practice
  • Analyzing Protein Interaction Networks
  • Mapping and Measuring Information Flow
  • Uncloaking corruption and indirect quid pro quo
  • Contact Tracing in Contagious Disease Outbreaks


LinksViewer[edit]

LinksViewer.jpg

Linksviewer is a professional tool for those wishing to understand the relationships between investors and capital projects (startups and the like) in Silicon Valley. You can search for recent funding activity in Silicon Valley, or for the most active investors in specific sectors or rounds of funding.

You can also search for Companies, People, and Investors. More advanced search options include names, keywords, rounds of capital raised and others.

Mentionmap[edit]

Mentionmap.jpg

Mentionmap allows you to enter a Twitter users name (without the @) and it will draw a map of other users and any hashtags they have mentioned in recent tweets. You can then click on a node to explore further.


NodeXL[edit]

NodeXL.png

NodeXL is a free template from Microsoft for Excel 2007. It lets you enter a network edge list, click a button, and see the network graph, all in the Excel window. You can customize the graph’s appearance; zoom, scale and pan the graph; dynamically filter vertices and edges; alter the graph’s layout; find clusters of related vertices; and calculate a set of graph metrics. Networks can be imported from and exported to a variety of data formats.

Talkexplorer[edit]

Talkexplorer.jpg

Talkexplorer is a network connections and conversations tracker that lets you drill down. Connections represent messages between users, not follower connections.


TouchGraph[edit]

TouchGraph.jpg

TouchGraph is especially useful because it can take results from various sources: Google, Amazon and Facebook. Touchgraph Google browser Touchgraph Amazon browser Touchgraph Facebook browser

VisualThesaurus[edit]

VisualThesaurus.jpg

VisualThesaurus Shows the relationships between words with connected meanings.

Visuwords[edit]

Visuwords2.jpg

Visuwords shows the relationships between words, their meanings, synonyms and antonyms and is very much like VisualThesaurus except that it does not require a subscription.

For free information about the hundreds of
visual thinking tools available, visit the

Visual Thinking Center