WikiNodes

{{short description|iPad app for browsing Wikipedia}} {{distinguish|WikiNode}} '''WikiNodes''' was an app for the Apple iPad built by IDEA.org.<ref>Wikipedia's 'The Signpost' 13 June 2011, In the news.</ref> WikiNodes was the first tablet app for browsing Wikipedia using a radial tree approach to visualize how articles and subsections of articles are interrelated. The app displayed related items (articles or sections of an article), which spread on the screen, as a spiderweb of icons.<ref>Mossberg, Walt. [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970204226204576598870117070318 "Encyclopaedia Britannica Now Fits Into an App"], 28 September 2011. ''The Wall Street Journal''. {{subscription required}} The article mentions WikiNodes, while discussing the Britannica app, noting that "This kind of visual array of related items isn’t a new idea. In fact, there is an iPad app called WikiNodes which does something similar for Wikipedia content."</ref>

== Operation ==

The app used the SpicyNodes visualization technique which was awarded a "best for teaching and learning" award in 2011 from American Association of School Librarians (AASL),<ref>AASL. June 2011. [http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/bestlist/bestwebsitestop25.cfm Top 25 Websites for Teaching and Learning].</ref> and voted #edchat's 35 Best Web 2.0 Classroom Tools in 2010.<ref>edudemic.com, "[http://edudemic.com/2010/07/the-35-best-web-2-0-classroom-tools-chosen-by-you/ The 35 Best Web 2.0 Classroom Tools Chosen By You]" (August July 2010).</ref>

The user interface was based on two display modes: * '''Page view''' – displays Wikipedia articles in long form, similar to how they appear on the main Wikipedia web site.<ref>WikiNodes: app that presents a keyword to a word association game. Ideal for expedition Wikipedia! (Japanese) [http://www.appbank.net/2011/06/20/ipad/264833.php AppBank]</ref> * '''Node view''' – divides Wikipedia articles into sections, and links articles to related articles, similar to mind mapping.<ref>"The interface presentation of information [is] similar to that of mind mapping, which I love." – Jess Seilheimer, [http://jaeselle.com/2011/05/loving-wikinodes-ipad-app/ Digilicious] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727095629/http://jaeselle.com/2011/05/loving-wikinodes-ipad-app/ |date=2014-07-27 }}</ref> The user can drag nodes, taps any node to display it in detail, with a panel to scroll to read the contents of the section.<ref>"The interface is a freestyle drag and zoom bonanza that lets you jump between related articles easily." – [http://applicationsipad.org/wikinodes iPad Apps] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708175039/http://applicationsipad.org/wikinodes |date=2011-07-08 }}</ref> This provides a visual way to see the relationships between articles.<ref>"[WikiNodes]...could redefine the way that you use Wikipedia on the iOS." – Blake Grundman, [http://www.148apps.com/news/wikinodes-brings-perspective-knowledge/ 148Apps]</ref><ref>"WikiNodes takes the huge sprawling maze of information that is Wikipedia and organizes it into a spider web of knowledge." – Phil Hornshaw, [http://www.appolicious.com/articles/7968-fresh-iphone-apps-for-may-12-trove-dictionary-com-ipad-update-wikinodes Yahoo! News & Appolicious] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315185213/http://www.appolicious.com/articles/7968-fresh-iphone-apps-for-may-12-trove-dictionary-com-ipad-update-wikinodes |date=2012-03-15 }}</ref> In June 2011, the app supported the 36 [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/List_of_Wikipedias top Wikipedia languages] (by number of articles).

== Reception ==

The app was highlighted as a "Staff pick" by Apple's U.S. App Store, Week of May 28, 2011; as "New and Noteworthy" by Apple's U.S. App Store, Week of May 5, 2011; and at other times by Apple's app stores for non-US countries.<ref>To see history of prior features in the Apple app store, adjust the date on this [http://www.appannie.com/wikinodes/features/#device=ipad App Annie page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323161819/http://www.appannie.com/wikinodes/features/#device=ipad |date=2012-03-23 }}</ref> It has been favorably covered by several bloggers, including those in the references below.<ref>WikiNodes for iPad – Making Wikipedia Fun to Explore by Patrick Jordan on May 11, 2011 / http://ipadinsight.com/ipad-app-reviews/wikinodes-for-ipad-making-wikipedia-fun-to-explore/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130822090019/http://ipadinsight.com/ipad-app-reviews/wikinodes-for-ipad-making-wikipedia-fun-to-explore/ |date=2013-08-22 }}</ref>

==See also== * List of Wikipedia mobile applications – Other iOS mobile apps providing access to Wikipedia * Radial tree – the general type of layout algorithm * SpicyNodes – Information visualization technique

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110826035800/http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wikinodes/id433834594?mt=8 Direct link to listing in Apple app store]

Category:Graph drawing software Category:IOS software Category:Wikipedia Category:2010 software