Post on 15-Dec-2015
Aug 12, 2007 WebKDD and 1st SNA-KDD Workshop
Why We Twitter?Understanding Microblogging Usage and
CommunitiesAkshay Java
Tim Finin
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Xiaodan Song
Belle Tseng
NEC Laboratories America Inc.
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
What is Twitter?
Micro-Blogging, Social Networking Service Users send updates/tweets via SMS, IM or Web Light-weight blogging, short posts
(140 characters or less)
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
What is Twitter?
Easily share status messagesEasily share status messages
Twitter post
Current Status
Friends
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
MICRO-BLOGS
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Ambient Intimacy
“Ambient intimacy is about being able to keep in touch with people with a level of regularity and intimacy that you wouldn’t usually have access to, because time and space conspire to make it impossible. “
- Leisa Reichelt Twitter, Flickr and other Social Media sites.
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Twitter! Twitter! Twitter!
Disclaimer: No association to Twitter Inc/ Obvious corp.Disclaimer: No association to Twitter Inc/ Obvious corp.
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Motivation
Goal: Study Micro-blogging usage, user-intentions and community structure.
Motivation:– What is the excitement about?– What is the user-intention in micro-blogging?– How is this form of communication different?
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Outline
Why We Twitter?Why We Twitter?
Micro-blogging Usage
Micro-blogging Usage
User IntentionsUser Intentions
Community-based Intentions
Community-based Intentions
Content-basedIntentions
Content-basedIntentions
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Social Media
Social media describes the online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences, perspectives with each other.
~ Wikipedia 07
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Social Media
Social media describes the online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences, perspectives and engage with each other.
Examples:
Blogs, Wikis, Flickr, YouTube, Micro-blogs…
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Outline
Why We Twitter?Why We Twitter?
Micro-blogging Usage
Micro-blogging Usage
User IntentionsUser Intentions
Community-based Intentions
Community-based Intentions
Content-basedIntentions
Content-basedIntentions
USAGE
• Popularity of Twitter?
• Is it very different from blogs?
• What is it’s adoption across the world?
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Dataset Description
Constructed by monitoring the Public timeline of posts 2 month period (04/07-05/07) 1,348,543 posts 76,177 Users 829,053 friend relation between them Used the Twitter API for accessing user social network
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
The Twitter Phenomenon
Twitter’s popularity increased after winning the Web award at SXSW conference, March 2007.
Currently, Twitter is the most popular micro-blogging tool.Currently, Twitter is the most popular micro-blogging tool.Source: ComScore
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Growth Rate
Slow down in growth of new users joining the network.
Slow down in growth of new users joining the network.
Dedicated user-base generating new updates/tweets.
Dedicated user-base generating new updates/tweets.
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Network Statistics
Degree distributions similar to Blogs, Web…Degree distributions similar to Blogs, Web…
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Network Statistics
However, higher reciprocal linking and clustering coefficient indicates mutual acquaintance.However, higher reciprocal linking and clustering coefficient indicates mutual acquaintance.
Network Statistics
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
User Retention
ACTIVE
RETAINED
User has at least one post in the week
Active user, who reposts the following week
Shows a continued activity and retention on TwitterShows a continued activity and retention on Twitter
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Geographical SpreadCross Continent Social Network
Continental Network Properties
Top Cities: Tokyo, NY, SF, Seattle, LA, Chicago, Toronto, Austin, Singapore, Madrid
Global popularityGlobal popularity
Social network crosses geographical boundaries
Social network crosses geographical boundaries
Higher reciprocity in Europe and AsiaHigher reciprocity in Europe and Asia
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Outline
Why We Twitter?Why We Twitter?
Micro-blogging Usage
Micro-blogging Usage
User IntentionsUser Intentions
Community-based Intentions
Community-based Intentions
Content-basedIntentions
Content-basedIntentions
USER INTENTION
• What are we using Twitter for?
• Are there communities?
• If so, what are the community-level intentions?
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
User IntentionsUsing Link Structure:
– Information source Such users have a number of followers ( include bots like forecast, stock, CNN breaking news, etc.)
– Information seeker Such users may post infrequently, but have a number of connections
– Friendship relation Most user’s social network is within mutual acquaintances
Using Content:– Daily chatter dinner, work, movie…
– Conversations (@) Reply to a specific person @ev
– Sharing URLs Sharing URLs through tinyURL
– Commenting on News Number of automated RSS to Twitter bots posting news
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Communities in Twitter First find Hubs and
Authorities using HITS Consider only bidirectional
links Clique Percolation Method
(CPM) to find overlapping communities
A-list bloggers and personalities are on Twitter
Scobleizer, SteveRubel, JasonCalacanis, SteveJobs
JohnEdwards, BarakObama, et al.
Hubs and Authorities
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Clique Percolation Method (CPM)
Basic Idea
Two nodes belong to the same community if they can be connected through adjacent k-cliques.
I. Derenyi, G. Palla, and T. Vicsek. Clique percolation in random networks. Physical Review Letters, 94:160202, 2005.G. Palla, I. Derenyi, I. Farkas, and T. Vicsek. Uncovering the overlapping community structure of complex networks in
nature and society. Nature, 435:814, 2005.
Example Gaming Community
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
com:175 twitter:134just:133 like:86good:82 tinyurl:75time:74 new:74jasona:73 going:68day:63 don:61work:58 think:56ll:54 scottw:54today:52 hkarthik:50nice:49 getting:47got:47 really:46yeah:44 need:43watching:41 love:41night:40 home:40
com:93 twitter:74just:35 new:32tinyurl:29 going:24ll:22 blog:21jaiku:21 don:21leo:21 flickr:21like:19 video:18google:18 today:18feeds:18 getting:16yeah:16 good:15people:15
com:93 twitter:76 tinyurl:34just:32 new:28 video:26going:24 ll:22 jaiku:22blog:21 leo:21 like:19don:19 gamerandy:19 yeah:18google:17 live:16 people:16got:16 know:15 time:15
com:121 twitter:76 just:50ustream:43 tv:42 live:42today:39 hawaii:36 day:33new:33 time:33 good:33video:32 leo:30 work:30like:28 watching:28 tinyurl:28
com:198 twitter:132 just:109tinyurl:87 going:59 blog:56like:55 good:51 new:50url:50 day:49 people:46time:45 today:45 google:42don:41 think:40 night:38ll:38 need:35 got:33ireland:33 great:31 looking:29work:29 thanks:28 video:26
INFORMATION
HUB
Information Source: Communities connected via Robert Scoble, an A-list bloggerInformation Source: Communities connected via Robert Scoble, an A-list blogger
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Key Termsgoing:222 just:218work:170 night:143bed:140 time:139good:137 com:130lost:124 day:122home:112
listening:111 today:100 new:98got:97 gspn:92watching:92 kids:88morning:81 twitter:79getting:77 tinyurl:75lunch:74 like:72podcast:72 watch:71ready:70 tv:69need:64 live:61tonight:61 trying:58love:58 cliff:58dinner:56
Key Terms just:312 com:180
work:180 time:149listening:147 home:145going:139 day:134got:126 today:124good:116 bed:114night:112 tinyurl:97getting:88 podcast:87dinner:85 watching:83like:78 mass:78lunch:72 new:72ll:70 tomorrow:69ready:64 twitter:62working:61 tonight:61morning:58 need:58great:58 finished:55tv:54
INFORMATION
BRIDGE
Information Source, Information Seeker: Different roles in different communitiesInformation Source, Information Seeker: Different roles in different communities
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
STAR NETWORKS /
SMALL CLIQUES
Friendship-relation: Small groups among friends/co-workersFriendship-relation: Small groups among friends/co-workers
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Outline
Why We Twitter?Why We Twitter?
Micro-blogging Usage
Micro-blogging Usage
User IntentionsUser Intentions
Community-based Intentions
Community-based Intentions
Content-basedIntentions
Content-basedIntentions
USER INTENTION
• What are the distinctive terms?
• Are there any trends?
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Wisdom of the Crowds
log-likelihood ratio
Popular topics: Activities, Current Events, TV shows/EntertainmentPopular topics: Activities, Current Events, TV shows/Entertainment
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Twittermenthttp://twitterment.umbc.eduSearch and Trend analytics on TwittersphereSearch and Trend analytics on Twittersphere
lunch dinnerwork
lunch
dinner
coffee
chipotle
panera
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Outlook on Micro-Blogging
The future is here!
Twitter,Jaiku,Pownce,FaceBook Status message is now public
– Ambient intimacy– Information sharing
Thoughts on new applications– Users can play different roles in different communities
– Number of updates received can be quite overwhelming
– New tools and services would benefit from allowing greater personalization based on user-intentions
e.g. Separating work and friend social network
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Conclusions First study of the Microblogging phenomenon. Popularity of Micro-blogging due to the combined benefits of
– Light-weight blogging – and the ability to share information in the social network.
Main user-intentions– Information sharing– Information seeking– Friendship– Users generated content includes:
Status updates, daily chatter, sharing links/News, etc. Future Work
– Automatically classifying the different intentions.– Finding frequent patterns in community structure.
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Thank You! Questions?
Thanks to Twitter Inc. for providing the Twitter API.
http://twitter.com/akshayjava
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
Backup Slides
Aug 12, 2007 Akshay Java
User Intentions