Abstract. Web browsers are at the core of online user experience, enabling a wide range of Web applications, like communication, games, entertainment, development, etc. Additionally, given the variety and complexity of online-supported tasks, users have started parallelizing and organizing their online browser sessions by employing multiple browser windows and tabs. However, there are few solutions that support analysts and casual users in detecting and extracting patterns from these parallel browsing histories. In this paper we introduce WebComets, an interactive visualization for exploring multi-session multi-user parallel browsing logs. After highlighting visual and functional aspects of the system, we introduce a motif-based contextual search for enabling the filtering and comparison of user navigation patterns. We further highlight the functionality of WebComets with a use case. Our investigations suggest that parallel browser history visualization can o↵er better insight into user tabbed browsing behavior and support the recognition of online navigation patterns.

Web browsers are at the core of online user experience, enabling a wide range of Web applications, like communication, games, entertainment , development, etc. Additionally, given the variety and complexity of online-supported tasks, users have started parallelizing and organizing their online browser sessions by employing multiple browser windows and tabs. However, there are few solutions that support analysts and casual users in detecting and extracting patterns from these parallel browsing histories. In this paper we introduce WebComets, an interactive visualization for exploring multi-session multiuser parallel browsing logs. After highlighting visual and functional aspects of the system, we introduce a motif-based contextual search for enabling the filtering and comparison of user navigation patterns. We further highlight the functionality of WebComets with a use case. Our investigations suggest that parallel browser history visualization can o↵er better insight into user tabbed browsing behavior and support the recognition of online navigation patterns.

Abstract:Web browsers are our main gateways to the Internet. With their help we read articles, we learn, we listen to music, we share our thoughts and feelings, we write e-mails, or we chat. Current Web browser histories have mostly no visualization capabilities as well as limited options to filter patterns and information. Furthermore, such histories disregard the existence of parallel navigation in multiple browser windows and tabs. But a good understanding of parallel browsing behavior is of critical importance for the casual user and the behavioural analyst, while at the same time having implications in the design of search engines, Web sites and Web browsers. In this paper we present WebComets, an interactive visualization for extended browser histories. Our visualization employs browser histories that capture-among others-the taboriented, parallel nature of Web page navigation. Results presented in this paper suggest that WebComets better supports the analysis and comparison of parallel browsing and corresponding behavior patterns than common browser histories.