Managing Software Projects in Spatial Hypertext : Experiences in Dogfooding

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Managing Software Projects in Spatial Hypertext
Experiences in Dogfooding

• Frank Shipman
• Department of Computer Science Center for the
  Study of Digital Libraries
• Texas AM University

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What is Spatial Hypertext?

• Hypertext but spatial so what is hypertext?
• Hypertext (or hypermedia) is
• systems that present the same text (media) in
  multiple contexts
• systems that enable the communication of
  relationships between documents

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Page-Based Hypertext
The field of hypertext includes computer
scientists, literary theorists, and writers. The
first ACM Hypertext Conference took place in 1987

Frank Shipman Dr. Shipman has been researching
hypertext, computer-supported cooperative work,
and intelligent user interfaces since 1987 at
Baylor College of Medicine, University of
Colorado, Xerox PARC, and now Texas AM
University.
Texas AM University, located in College Station,
has 43,000 students
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Map-Based Hypertext

• Observations of Xerox NoteCards activities found
  heavy use of maps.
• Aquanet designed to make the map the primary
  interface (instead of browser)
• Late 80s map-based hypertext
• gIBIS, Aquanet, Sepia
• Argumentation and knowledge building
• Schemas as map legends

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Map-Based Hypertext
intelligent user interfaces
Frank Shipman
computer-supported cooperative work
hypertext
Texas AM University
Xerox PARC
First ACM Hypertext Conference
University of Colorado
Baylor College of Medicine
College Station
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Spatial Hypertext

• Observations of Aquanet activities showed links
  implied rather than explicitly expressed.
• VIKI designed to support building and
  manipulating implicit spatial relations
• 1993 first spatial hypertext
• VIKI a visual and kinesthetic analysis tool
• Emerged into research area
• HyperMap, CAOS, Manufactur, VKB, Tinderbox, ART,

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Spatial Hypertext
computer-supported cooperative work
Frank Shipman
Frank Shipman
hypertext
Xerox PARC
intelligent user interfaces
University of Colorado
hypertext
Baylor College of Medicine
Texas AM University
First ACM Hypertext Conference
Texas AM University
College Station
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1st Generation Spatial Hypertext

• Support evolving interpretation through emergent
  visual languages
• Recognition of visual structure to aid expression
• Common tasks
• Information collection, organization, and sharing
  (personal collaborative)
• Process of information triage

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2nd Generation Spatial Hypertext

• Support for longer-term and larger-scale tasks
• Navigable history
• Links between spatial hypertexts
• Support for presentation-oriented spatial
  hypertexts
• Greater visual expressiveness, additional media
• Spatial hypertext via http servers

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Reflections Why?

• Research software
• Continual redesign based on interests
• Success means evaluation prototypes
• Real success keeps project alive forever
• Well matched to spatial hypertext
• Allows continual evolution of ideas
• No strict schedule to formalize
• Informal group structure and interactions

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Reflections Why Not?

• System limitations
• Continuous structures not recognized
• History too low level for some uses
• Applicability issues
• Single space will not scale
• Not right for automating reports
• How unique is research software?

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Summary

• Spatial hypertext enables emergent expression
• Evolving visual languages
• Analysis and organization tasks
• Features of spatial hypertexts
• Implicit structure recognition
• Navigable history, links through space and time
• Publication-oriented spatial hypertexts
• Use in project management for developing research
  software
• Good for continual redesign reconceptualization
• Poor for more demanding processes

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Resources on Spatial Hypertext

• Many papers in ACM Digital Library
• Workshops on Spatial Hypertext
• www.csdl.tamu.edu/shipman/SpatialHypertext
• VKB updates available at
• www.csdl.tamu.edu/VKB/