Online conversation as networksFebruary 2014

Got data. Now what?

Overwhelmed?

Look closer!

What can you say about a conversation without reading it all?

What can you say about a conversation without reading it all?

• look at the visualization

What can you say about a conversation without reading it all?

• look at the visualization

• guess what it means

What can you say about a conversation without reading it all?

• look at the visualization

• guess what it means

• how would you, as community manager, react to this information?

What can you say about a conversation without reading it all?

• look at the visualization

• guess what it means

• how would you, as community manager, react to this information?

• “the vocalizer” of the network analysis software conveys interpretations for you

Very important!

Very important!

• The network must be specified. It is important to define what nodes and edges represent.

Very important!

• The network must be specified. It is important to define what nodes and edges represent.

• Here (mostly): nodes => users, edges => comments

Is my team of moderators doing a good job?

With moderatorsDensity 0.028Average weighted degree 10.87Average distance 2.3

No moderatorsDensity 0.013Average weighted degree 3.7Average distance 3.3

No moderatorsDensity 0.013Average weighted degree 3.7Average distance 3.3

With moderatorsDensity 0.028Average weighted degree 10.87Average distance 2.3

Moderators rock!

Moderators rock!

• “No user left behind”: they connect to the general conversation people that are not talking to each other.

Moderators rock!

• “No user left behind”: they connect to the general conversation people that are not talking to each other.

• They reduce the average distance between members by one hop

Moderators rock!

• “No user left behind”: they connect to the general conversation people that are not talking to each other.

• They reduce the average distance between members by one hop

• They increase the average weighted degree (number of interactions on the network) from 4 to 11

How sustainable is my community?

Posts by contributor (cumulated)

0

100

200

300

400

Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul

moderators Community

0

500

1000

1500

2000

Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul

Comments by contributor (cumulated)

User generated content as a share of the total content

0

0,25

0,5

0,75

1

Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul

Share of CommentsShare of Posts

Share of the conversation that does NOT involve moderators

0

0,25

0,5

0,75

1

Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul

Share of participating usersShare of relationships

Not much, but getting better

Not much, but getting better

• Almost all posts and about two thirds of the comments are produced by the community, not the moderators.

Not much, but getting better

• Almost all posts and about two thirds of the comments are produced by the community, not the moderators.

• BUT A lot of the interactions involve moderators. Drop them at your own risk!

Not much, but getting better

• Almost all posts and about two thirds of the comments are produced by the community, not the moderators.

• BUT A lot of the interactions involve moderators. Drop them at your own risk!

• On the plus side, the share and number of interactions NOT involving moderators are both growing.

Are specialized subcommunities emerging?

Moderators removedModularity 0.5 (>0.4 = “high”)Subcommunities are clearly visible

Are subcommunities specializing?Bluer edge = more specialization on one or few topics,Redder edge = no specialization, all topics equally discussed

It seems so! (but check absolute numbers)

How “broad” and “deep” are my results?

Topic treeBlue research questions are addressed by green posts, in turn validated by red comments

Topic tree (detail)

Topic tree (detail)

No validation

Topic tree (detail)

Lots of validation

Topic tree (detail)

Broad discussion, many points of view

Topic tree (detail)

Narrow discussion

Some are, some are not...

Some are, some are not...

• Check you are not relying on results from “narrow” and “shallow” discussion, however you might like the content!

Some are, some are not...

• Check you are not relying on results from “narrow” and “shallow” discussion, however you might like the content!

• Deploy moderators to ask the community to reinforce semmeingly important results that are not sufficiently validated

Now go do it!

A SNA module for Drupal

coming soon....