The Buzzz Behind Colony Collapse Disorder
Issue Crawler - Co-link Network Cluster Map
One of the benifits of Issue Crawler is the ability to convey is the complexity of a controversy. More specifically how the actors within a controversy connect with each other and the degree to which they do. IssueCrawler is a network location software that helps visualize where an issue is based and where an issue is happening, according to the web.
The larger question at hand is whether the base recognizes where the issue is happening. The answer to that question will help people trying to advocate for the issue to figure out where to focus their efforts. Ideally, this would lead to solutions that can garner support more efficiency.
It finds out which outlinks the starting points have in common
In the case of Colony Collapse Disorder, the influential actors in the network are the EPA, USDA, USA.gov, whitehouse.gov, and grants.gov. In the image below I used the cluster network depiction to show where in the web the afforementioned actors connect. The "outlinks" shown as lines going away from these starting points show where else they connect. When starting points connect via a common outlink they are considered as "co-linked". This signifies that the base is connected with where the issue is happening.
One of the most important tasks of Issue Crawler is to figure out whether or not specific issues exist where the controversy is happening. This is accomplished by looking for keywords in the news surrounding the controversy and seeing where and how often the topic pops up.
Cluster Map - Blue Bordered circle is main network.
Cluster Map Legend
Cluster Map InterpretationThe USDA, EPA, Whitehouse, grants.gov are all pivotal co-link actors in the network cluster. In the graphy there is a dense concentration of arrows pointing to these networks which indicates that they share many common links to other actors in the controversy. Grants.gov is a resource to find out where to get funding and see what proposals have been made to allocate money to address these problems. Recovery.gov is a resource to find out where the funding is actually going to. Among the common actor colinks are the EPA, Food and Drug Administration, Fish and Wildlife Service and Grants.gov, and the Natural Resource conservation service.
Below is an Actor Link Matrix which shows check marks in the boxes to indicate where in the web the actor have common links.
| cluster_map.pdf |
