WebComets: A Tab-Oriented Approach for Browser History Visualization

Abstract

Abstract:Web browsers are our main gateways to the Internet. With their help we read articles, we learn, we listen to music, we share our thoughts and feelings, we write e-mails, or we chat. Current Web browser histories have mostly no visualization capabilities as well as limited options to filter patterns and information. Furthermore, such histories disregard the existence of parallel navigation in multiple browser windows and tabs. But a good understanding of parallel browsing behavior is of critical importance for the casual user and the behavioural analyst, while at the same time having implications in the design of search engines, Web sites and Web browsers. In this paper we present WebComets, an interactive visualization for extended browser histories. Our visualization employs browser histories that capture-among others-the taboriented, parallel nature of Web page navigation. Results presented in this paper suggest that WebComets better supports the analysis and comparison of parallel browsing and corresponding behavior patterns than common browser histories.