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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>May be a reason why few people use these
nice tools is, that you do not get a lot out of them. And this might also
explain, why such highly unstructured initiatives like Wikipedia or ecoport are
flourishing. They have content, and to some extent, individuals can add more to
it, and thus feel to be part of the initative, and get used to know where and
how they can find their stuff.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Donat<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
tdwg-bounces@lists.tdwg.org [mailto:tdwg-bounces@lists.tdwg.org] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Roderic Page<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Friday, September 14, 2007
8:45 AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> Rebecca Shapley<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Cc:</span></b> Bob Morris;
tdwg@lists.tdwg.org; Denise Green; bmishler@berkeley.edu<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: [tdwg] Interesting
example of tree navigation</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Much as I think interfaces like this are way kewl, I think it is
revealing that nobody has successfully applied this sort of approach to
browsing the large hierarchy that many of us interact with on a daily basis -
the file system on our computer. Those efforts that have been made have not
caught on (remember the flyby navigation in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Jurassic</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Park</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>?
- <a href="http://www.slipups.com/items/2786.html">http://www.slipups.com/items/2786.html</a>
).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>In the same way, there have been a slew of attempts to display search
engine results in forms other than Google's list of top hits, but none have
caught on -- people know how to interpret lists, but often struggle with
graphical displays of information, much to the chagrin of the people who make
cool interfaces.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Much as I think EoL might indeed make a splash with something like
this, it will be empty unless it actually helps people find things without
getting lost. In the same way, I thought the tree navigation shown in the EoL
release video was perhaps the worst possible way of doing things, ignoring
pretty much everything people have written about navigating in large trees.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Regards<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Rod<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>On 14 Sep 2007, at 03:52, Rebecca Shapley wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>My guess - <br>
<br>
a) there aren't many information sets that are difficult enough to present in
standard ways AND benefit from this type of presentation <br>
b) there haven't been enough of (a) with the programmers/money/willingness to
try something novel <br>
c) some concern over limiting the audience for the info, because it requires
Flash or some other plug-in. <i><span style='font-style:italic'>Potentially</span></i>
a high bar in terms of browser capability, internet connection, etc. Or because
Flash isn't open-source. <br>
<br>
To get around (c), I'd take this implementation as a spec for the desired
interaction behavior and see if it can be done in any other more acceptable
technology, OR if it can be primarily Flash-based, but also degrade to
something acceptable for older browsers. <br>
<br>
No reason the EOL project can't make a splash with something as exciting as
this.<br>
<br>
-R. <br>
<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmailquote><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>On 9/13/07, <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Richard
Pyle</span></b> <<a href="mailto:deepreef@bishopmuseum.org">
deepreef@bishopmuseum.org</a>> wrote:</span></font></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>> As Rod suggested, this is pretty old news. <br>
<br>
This begs the question: has this style of user-interface failed to catch on<br>
more widely because of:<br>
<br>
1) Technological limitations;<br>
2) Insufficient creativity and inspiration; or<br>
3) Insufficient usability? <br>
<br>
I'm tempted to eliminate #3 on the grounds that I don't think this style of<br>
UI has been widespread enough to have been subjected to, and then failed,<br>
some sort of usability meta-experiment.<br>
<br>
This is not to say that it won't ultimately fail such a meta-experiment -- <br>
just that it hasn't really had a chance to fail it yet.<br>
<br>
Rich<br>
<br>
<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
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</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>tdwg mailing list<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><a href="mailto:tdwg@lists.tdwg.org">tdwg@lists.tdwg.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><a href="http://lists.tdwg.org/mailman/listinfo/tdwg">http://lists.tdwg.org/mailman/listinfo/tdwg</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'>----------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'>Professor Roderic D.
M. Page<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'>Editor, Systematic
Biology<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'>DEEB, IBLS<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on"><font size=1
color=black face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;
color:black'>Graham</span></font></st1:PlaceName><font size=1 color=black
face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Kerr</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Building</st1:PlaceType></span></font></st1:place><font
size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
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<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on"><font size=1
color=black face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;
color:black'>University</span></font></st1:PlaceType><font size=1
color=black face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;
color:black'> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Glasgow</st1:PlaceName></span></font></st1:place><font
size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
Helvetica;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><font size=1
color=black face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;
color:black'>Glasgow</span></font></st1:place></st1:City><font size=1
color=black face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;
color:black'> G12 8QP<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><font
size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
Helvetica;color:black'>United Kingdom</span></font></st1:place></st1:country-region><font
size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
Helvetica;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<div style='min-height: 14px'>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'>Phone: +44 141 330
4778<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'>Fax: +44 141 330 2792<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'>email: <a
href="mailto:r.page@bio.gla.ac.uk">r.page@bio.gla.ac.uk</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'>web: <a
href="http://taxonomy.zoology.gla.ac.uk/rod/rod.html">http://taxonomy.zoology.gla.ac.uk/rod/rod.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'>iChat: <a
href="aim://rodpage1962">aim://rodpage1962</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'>reprints: <a
href="http://taxonomy.zoology.gla.ac.uk/rod/pubs.html">http://taxonomy.zoology.gla.ac.uk/rod/pubs.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div style='min-height: 14px'>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'>Subscribe to
Systematic Biology through the Society of Systematic<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'>Biologists Website: <a
href="http://systematicbiology.org">http://systematicbiology.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'>Search for taxon
names: <a href="http://darwin.zoology.gla.ac.uk/~rpage/portal/">http://darwin.zoology.gla.ac.uk/~rpage/portal/</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'>Find out what we know
about a species: <a href="http://ispecies.org">http://ispecies.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'>Rod's rants on
phyloinformatics: <a href="http://iphylo.blogspot.com">http://iphylo.blogspot.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'>Rod's rants on ants: <a
href="http://semant.blogspot.com">http://semant.blogspot.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'><br>
<br>
</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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