A charting feature for the HB that would allow you to view ideas in a graphical chart format for example;

View the history of an idea by looking at the number of votes or Annos by day to see where the most activity occurred,

View a Users activity profile to see when they were at their most and least prolific OR creative(based on buns),

View the history of the Bakery by number of annos a day or ideas a day, perhaps totalizing the number of positive votes on ideas created that day to determine the most creative or least creative days in the history of the site,

If such metrics were available they could be linked to one of those egg things so you would know if there is a surge of activity or creativity going on.(see Link)

Numerous other examples would apply, but overall I think this would provide a unique way to view the bakery.
-- jhomrighaus, Jan 10 2007

lamp http://www.violet.net/dal_us.jsp
[jhomrighaus, Jan 10 2007]

Half-trends Half-trends
[xaviergisz, Jan 10 2007]

Halfbakery Industrial Average Halfbakery_20Industrial_20Average
also suggested here [xaviergisz, Jan 10 2007]

Another use would be to see when most bakers are online. If you know when their online, you have a better chance of commicating with them. Very useful indeed.
-- flynn, Jan 10 2007


If you know their e-mail address, you have an even better chance. Also, that's actually the purpose of e-mail.

Why does any of this matter?
-- angel, Jan 10 2007


As much as I enjoy sifting through seemingly useless lists of facts and data - I don't think it is necessary on the HB.
-- fridge duck, Jan 10 2007


//View a Users activity profile to see when they were at their most and least prolific or creative//

//If such metrics were available they could be linked to one of those egg things so you would know if there is a surge of activity or creativity going on.(see Link)//

This is slightly off topic, and maybe it's because I'm a traditionalist, but I prefer it when I have a small number of interesting ideas, that I can mull over, consider, toy with, and otherwise fully enjoy and explore, than a torrent of off-the-cuff, idea-a-minute, shallow stuff that I can't get my teeth into (or if I do, is replaced 5 minutes later by the next thing). I suppose I just don't think it's desirable to equate quantity with quality or creativity.
-- zen_tom, Jan 10 2007


what exactly is your point [zen_tom] are you critical of my ideas or of the concept of people posting ideas, or the idea that one might want to know when a particularly interesting idea has been posted that is generating a lot of interest?
-- jhomrighaus, Jan 10 2007


//what exactly is your point [zen_tom] are you critical of my ideas or of the concept of people posting ideas, or the idea that one might want to know when a particularly interesting idea has been posted that is generating a lot of interest?//

My point is hopefully what I've stated - that I take issue with the implied assertions in the text that quantity=quality or creativeness.

To answer your questions, no*, no and possibly, in that order.

*or at least, not on principle ;)
-- zen_tom, Jan 10 2007


It think you are missunderstanding my implication, i am making no connection between quantity and quality, rather that one could see the quality of ideas based on the vote tally, one could see when an idea attracts discussion by viewing the quantity of the annos that are posted. There is no implied connection.

I personally might find it interesting to know that on some given day a large number of very highly rated ideas were created(say following a major world event), as I might endeavor to understand why that might have occurred, and vice-versa. Or to see if there is a correlation between very popular ideas and the time of year or quantity of ideas being posted(perhaps the best ideas arise during periods of high activity on the bakery when the creative juices are flowing and there is a lot of thought provoking discourse, or perhaps they arise during slow times when there is more reflection and thought. Do you know which it is?) Do Popular ideas skyrocket immidiatly or do the build up over time, do sime ideas "grow on people" or do the best ideas strike like lightning.

This is not intended to act as a filter persay more as a unique way to view the history and activity of the bakery as a whole and living organism as it were, to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics that underly its actions. Being a scientist these sorts of things are interesting to me.
-- jhomrighaus, Jan 10 2007


[blissmiss] In the past I have always found your input to be positive and constructive but lately you seem to have become very rude and decidedly non-constructive.

I have not entered any "phase". I thought of something that I found interesting(inspired in part by some assertions YOU made about the historic activity on the HB).
-- jhomrighaus, Jan 10 2007


\\View a Users activity profile to see when they were at their most and least prolific or creative\\ I think this is where people might be inferring an equation between quality and quantity. The fact that you seem to be comparing being profilic to being creative suggests that you consider posting lots similar to creativity.

Meaningless statistics = pointless entertainment for the terminally bored = pastry.
-- hidden truths, Jan 10 2007


Comment deleted, thanks [truth] I don't look at profile pages unless I find someone fascinating. And fig branch, olive loaf, or whatever extended to jh. I'm not here enough to know who is old or new anymore.
-- blissmiss, Jan 10 2007


my wording was poorly chosen i guess but this statement,

//when they were at their most and least prolific or creative//

could read that way, however it was intended to mean that the proliferation of ideas(good or Bad) will change through time and you could look at that change.

//or Creative// was actually a separate and distinct way of looking at the data. I this case one might view the number of buns received by the user in a given time increment, the greater the number of buns received implies a more creative period of activity, be it on one idea or many(does the user have few very popular ideas, do they have a group of very popular ideas in time or are there ideas cyclic building up to a "big idea") These are all interesting and unique ways to view the work of a baker that make no implications.

Many artists are viewed in this way, many have a prolific period during which some of their best work appeared, some are prolific but uninteresting and then upon slowing down the quality of their work shines. Each one is different that is what makes it interesting.
-- jhomrighaus, Jan 10 2007


My bad - I see what you mean now. And while it might not be strictly possible to measure quality and creativeness by any quantified means, it could still be an interesting exercise to try.

From memory, I think August is my most 'bakey month. Maybe it's that the long days exert a general optimism over a person's mood. Correlating ideas posted with ambient weather conditions might provide insights into how the seasons affect mood (with a trend towards more postings reflecting notions of emptiness, death, fragility during the winter months, and bounty, life, strength and optimism during the summer ones - for example) but I fear this sort of analysis would require a bit more effort.
-- zen_tom, Jan 10 2007



random, halfbakery