I used NodeXL to search, scrape, and collect the pattern of linkages in tweets using the #dayofarch hashtag. I then exported these to a .net file, and used Gephi to visualize and study the pattern. The dayofarchaeology_tweets file is a zoomable svg/pdf showing the full pattern.
There are 454 nodes (individuals) connected by 993 edges (co-mentions, links, RTs, etc). The diagram’s colors indicate degree – the blacker, the higher number of connections. Top three users: lornarichardson, portableant, dayofarch. The size of the node indicates betweeness centrality – in this case, the users who tie together the twittersphere (in that they lie on top of the most paths connecting any two pairs of users). Top three: lornarichardson, cmount1, jadufton.
The network diameter is 13, meaning that the longest path between any two users is 13 jumps; the average path length is about 5 jumps.
I’ll mull these – and other figures – in a forthcoming post. There is meaning in structure…
[…] If you haven’t checked out the Day of Archaeology, you should. It’s pretty remarkable the number, diversity, and quality of posts from working archaeologists of all stripes. My post is here. Shawn Graham’s first efforts to find patterns in the Day of Archaeology Tweets is here. […]