TextKIT - visual text mining

Inhaltliche Beschreibung

What is txtkit?
txtkit is a visual text mining tool for exploring large amounts of multilingual texts. It's a multiuser-application which mainly focuses on the process of reading and reasoning as a series of decisions and events. To expand this single perspective activity txtkit collects all of the users mining data and uses it to create content recommendations through collaborative filtering. The software requires Mac OS X 10.3 and Internet access.

Interface:
The txtkit interface is divided into two parts: txtshell (shell interface) and txtvbot (visual bot). txtshell provides several commands to browse, to read and to select text, whilst the txtvbot displays the user activity in real-time. The visualization is based on the users actions, statistical information about the data as well as collaborative filtering schemes. You can use the txtvbot and the txtshell individually, but through an alternating perception you will merge visual and textual cognition processes meeting the potential of digital hypothesis formation.

Structure:
Main parts of txtkit are: a parsing programm, a mysql database running on a server and the txtkit client divided in txtshell (terminal application) and txtvbot (for cocoa opengl). After you installed txtkit on your computer you will automatically connected with the txtkit database. txtkit 1.0 runs with german texts on media art theory written by Hans Ulrich Reck. Other texts and languages will be soon available. For more information on the structure please check the overview section.

Background:
txtkit was commissioned by Prof. Hans Ulrich Reck - project director with Prof. Georg Trogemann of KIT (Kunst. Informatik. Theorie.), a research project based at the Art and Media Studies department at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne. KIT is a part of the KUBIM programme. KUBIM can be seen within the larger context of concepts and programmes in Germany to help build the global "Information Society".
Under the umbrella of the Bund-Länder-Kommission für Bildungsplanung und Forschungsförderung (BLK), a joint body of the Federal Government and the Länder for educational planning and research funding, kubim was launched in Spring 2000 to develop and test innovative models for the creative and competent use of new media-technologies in cultural education and training.
KUBIM is financed by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMB+F) and Länder Ministries for Education or Science and Culture.

Goals:
The aim of the KIT project was to investigate the potential of the new technologies with regard to visual arts, design and theoretical research. SW/OfCD were asked to develop a prototype which introduces new methods for exploring and dealing with large textual sources.

Time:
txtkit research and development started in March 2002 and finished in January 2004.