Wednesday 22 May 2013

Recent Writing (Infomous)

I recently added a new widget to the right margin of the NOTE: blog - "Recent Topics". It's a form of word cloud, but it's far more dynamic and interactive than a traditional word cloud. Hover over a word (or click on it) to see a list of NOTE: articles featuring the specified word; click Drill-Down to get a sub-cloud of associated words.

If you don't subscribe to NOTE: (through RSS or email) then it can be especially difficult to make the best use of the blog's content. The new widget shows words from the most recent 25 NOTE: posts and I think it will be of benefit for catching-up on recent content that is of interest to you.

The word cloud is supplied by Infomous. Hover your mouse near the bottom of the diagram for a menu of options. From the Infomous FAQ:
  • The size of each word reflects the frequency with which it appears in the source

  • If you click on a word, a drop down list appears with links to articles that are related to the specific word. The drop-down will also appear if your mouse lingers over a word. By clicking on a link in the list, you will navigate to that specific article

  • Topics become linked when they are mentioned in the same context or discussed together multiple times. Related terms and concepts are linked together with lines so you can grasp the context of any relevant topic

  • The words in the Infomous cloud are organized in groups of related words. This provides you with a quick glimpse of which topics belong together in conceptual clusters
Plus, it looks cool, and it's fun. Try it, and drop me a comment!