Computer-Implemented System And Method For Creating And Visualizing A Social Network

Abstract

A computer-implemented system and method for creating and visualizing a social network are provided. A social network is created based on a traffic pattern of messages exchanged between two or more entities. A sender and a recipient of each exchanged message in the set are identified as the entities. A link is created between the identified sender and recipient for each exchanged message. A representation of the social network is generated by representing each of the entities via a node, selecting one of the nodes within the social network, and arranging the nodes of the unselected entities relative to the selected node and based on the links. One of a positive and negative position of each of the unselected entity nodes from the selected node is identified.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented system for creating and visualizing a social network, comprising:
 a network module to create a social network based on a traffic pattern of messages exchanged between two or more entities, comprising:
 an entity submodule to identify as the entities, a sender and a recipient of each exchanged message in the set; and 
 a link submodule to create a link between the identified sender and recipient for each exchanged message; and 
   a visual representation module to generate a representation of the social network, comprising:
 a node assignment submodule to represent each of the entities via a node; 
 an entity selection submodule to select one of the nodes within the social network; 
 an arrangement submodule to arrange the nodes of the unselected entities in the representation relative to the selected node and based on the links; and 
 a node positioning module to identify one of a positive and negative position of each of the unselected entity nodes from the selected node. 
   
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a further link module to create a further link between the identified sender and recipient for one such exchanged message when the recipient is a sender of another exchanged message to the identified sender as a recipient.   
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a list generator to generate a list of concepts from the set of exchanged messages.   
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a concept exclusion module to exclude one or more of the concepts from the list; and   a removal module to remove messages and links from the social network based on the excluded concepts.   
     
     
         5 . A system according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 an assignment module to assign an attraction factor to one or more of the concepts from the list; and   an adjustment module to adjust the entities in the representation relative to the selected node based on the assigned attraction factor.   
     
     
         6 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an identity determination module to determine an identity of the sender of at least one exchanged message, wherein the exchanged message comprises email messages, comprising:
 an address identification module to identify an email address for one such exchanged message; and 
 a domain identification module to identify a domain of the email address as the sender identity. 
   
     
     
         7 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a message identification module to identify the exchanged messages between at least two companies, wherein the exchanged messages comprise email messages; and   a sender identification module to identify individual senders of each exchanged message within each of the companies based on the email address for that exchanged message.   
     
     
         8 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an entity identification module to identify the unselected entities associated with an organization;   a weight assignment module to assign an attraction factor to those unselected entities associated with the organization; and   an entity adjustment module to adjust the unselected entities related to the organization relative to the selected node.   
     
     
         9 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a table generator to generate a table of data related to the representation comprising at least one of a number of messages sent, a number of messages received, and a list of concepts related to one or more of the messages.   
     
     
         10 . A system according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a receipt module to receive from a user, a selection of one of the nodes in the representation; and   a table adjustment module to adjust the data in the table based on the node selection.   
     
     
         11 . A computer-implemented method for creating and visualizing a social network, comprising:
 creating a social network based on a traffic pattern of messages exchanged between two or more entities, comprising:
 identifying as the entities, a sender and a recipient of each exchanged message in the set; and 
 creating a link between the identified sender and recipient for each exchanged message; and 
   generating a representation of the social network, comprising:
 representing each of the entities via a node; 
 selecting one of the nodes within the social network; 
 arranging the nodes of the unselected entities relative to the selected node and based on the links; and 
 identifying one of a positive and negative position of each of the unselected entity nodes from the selected node. 
   
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 creating a further link between the identified sender and recipient for one such exchanged message when the recipient is a sender of another exchanged message to the identified sender as a recipient.   
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 generating a list of concepts from the set of exchanged messages.   
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 excluding one or more of the concepts from the list; and   removing messages and links from the social network based on the excluded concepts.   
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 assigning an attraction factor to one or more of the concepts from the list; and   adjusting the entities in the representation relative to the selected node based on the assigned attraction factor.   
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining an identity of the sender of at least one exchanged message, wherein the exchanged message comprises email messages, comprising:
 identifying an email address for one such exchanged message; and 
 identifying a domain of the email address as the sender identity. 
   
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 identifying the exchanged messages between at least two companies, wherein the exchanged messages comprise email messages; and   identifying individual senders of the exchanged messages within each of the companies based on the email address for each exchanged message.   
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 identifying the unselected entities associated with an organization;   assigning an attraction factor to those unselected entities associated with the organization; and   adjusting the unselected entities related to the organization relative to the selected node.   
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 generating a table of data related to the representation comprising at least one of a number of messages sent, a number of messages received, and a list of concepts related to one or more of the messages.   
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19 , further comprising:
 receiving from a user, a selection of one of the nodes in the representation; and   adjusting the data in the table based on the node selection.