We created an interactive visualization to allow people to make their own discoveries about online discussions. Compare how comments are posted on two articles over the first four hours after an article is posted.
We discovered that some websites allow threading. Threading allows users to reply to other comments. This changes the way we interpret online discussions. Is a user replying to an article? Is a user replying to another comment? Are they creating active discussions? When threading is not available is it more difficult to identify which comments are driving replies? Furthermore, is it harder to see when a discussion is happening?
Ram Joshi, Walter Koning, Chulki Lee
A circle represents a comment. A line indicates a comment is made as a reply. The size of a circle increases for every reply to the comment.