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Ian, the problem with so many tools is that they forget that it is the audience needs that should drive the content and what and how it is presented. I believe we need to separate the building of models from the consumption of models.
I would observe that in too many cases software products present data in graphs “because they can” rather than because it helps the consumer make a decision or gain understanding. Many software products presenting graphs fail to deliver value because the data presented is unworkable, unusable, overwhelming or all of the above. In varying degrees tools can present:
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too many nodes
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too many links
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too unpredictable
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too general a set of nodes
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too general a set of links
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not enough information about nodes or links when inspected
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too much information about nodes or links when inspected
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nodes that cannot be navigated from
This problem is summed up in the phrase “you can’t see the wood for the trees”. To take the example above and in the Ontopop video, what is the tool for: building model, exploring a model or supporting a repeatable process? The challenge in my mind is how do we practically bound a graph query and deliver the right information to the user first time on a repeatable basis?
We should leverage the ISO42010 approach and ensure we focus on Stakeholders, Concerns and separate Viewpoints and Views from the underlying Model.
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