Embodying Wikipedia

Name: Jeff Rzeszotarski

Number of Teammates Desired: 0-2

Description of Idea:
Wikipedia content can be very valuable, but currently there are few few entry points into that content. One can either search for articles or arrive at one through a Wikipedia link. I propose exploring several ways to embody Wikipedia in the tablet space beyond simple page re-representation and support the discovery of new information. One might use location sensing to provide localized suggestions or visualizations of content that may be pertinent. Graph or network-based views of articles could support serendipitous information-finding in this context. The primary goal is to make the tablet a fun entry point for Wikipedia exploration by utilizing the user's surroundings and supporting spontaneity through visualization.

Description of Data:
The data for this project will primarily be provided either by Wikipedia dumps in SQL database form (already on a server) or through Wikipedia live API queries. I also have a rich supply of back-end tools for exploring article history and networks in Wikipedia.

Additional Information: This relates to my PhD research, so I would be looking for something that could turn into a conference publication. I can handle a lot of implementation, but more design and programming expertise would be helpful.