BrowseLine: 2D Timeline Visualization of Web Browsing Histories

Re-finding previously viewed Web pages in browsing histories is often a difficult task, due to the incomplete and vague knowledge people have about the information they are seeking. In this paper, we present a visual interface for the task of re-finding Web pages within browsing histories. BrowseLine employs a novel two-dimensional timeline metaphor, allowing users to visually identify temporal patterns within their browsing histories. These visual patterns can be matched to the users´ recollection of their browsing activities, allowing them to jump to a time interval in their browsing history for further investigation. Preliminary evaluations of BrowseLine have found that users can readily grasp the two-dimensional timeline representation, and can use the system effectively to re-find previously viewed pages.