NodeXL Graph creates visualization of the Twitter hashtag #veteran network

Source:http://nodexlgraphgallery.org

"NodeXL" is a computer program that allows one to create a visualization of thousands of tweets under a specific hashtag and then it creates a connection of that network. In this NodeXL Graph located to the right, it created a connection of words related to "veteran" with 871 edges, which are pathways that connects to each main idea. Observing this visualization allows one to see all of the related words that various twitter users think are connected to the word "veteran".

As it is shows, veteran closely resembles Washington DC and various of Washington DC's monuments. After veteran connecting to Washington DC, the network drifts off to death related words such as grave, cemetery, gravestone, tombstone, and then randomly to London. From Washington DC, the connection also takes another drift towards parade and hero, and then to ford, cars, USA, and MIA. There are some very random words that are connected to veteran, such as pow, MIA, and poppy.

I found this specific NodeXL Graph to be pretty easy to understand, the only downside to it it was the color of each edge shown and how various words were not legible since pictures were placed in front of them. I liked how they did not gather too many overwhelming data from various users, or else it would have been hard to follow along, as I observed in other NodeXL Graphs on the NodeXL Graph Gallery.

Overal, I found this computer program very interesting, being that one can take social media and get thousands to millions of users input and plot them all together to see what users think are interconnected with one another. It would be very interesting to compare different culture's connections between a specific word.