Conversation Space: Visualizing multi-threaded conversation

Abstract

This paper explicates the metaphors used to conceive of asynchronous text-based communication (ATBC) software, such as email and newsgroups. Design of such software has been guided by an understanding of ATBC as essentially a text communication (textual metaphor). However, this mode of discourse has many similarities with oral communication as well. The interaction of oral and textual aspects in ATBC gives rise to a phenomenon of multithreaded discourse, where several discourse threads develop simultaneously, which is a unique property of this medium. Our main tenet here is that application of textual metaphor has narrowed the scope of possible designs. We propose a design approach, which explicitly promotes the metaphor of oral communication (conversation) and oral traits of ATBC discourse, while also supporting the multithreaded discourse structure. The consequent interface design challenge is that of creating a way to visualize human conversation that would preserve the spontaneity of oral conversation whilst also utilizing the persistent nature of text. This goal has been accomplished by spatial representation of multi-threaded discourse in a shared workspace. Based on this proposed way of visualization, a prototype tool called `Conversation Space' (ConverSpace) has been created.