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.