Here is an interesting paper from EuroVis 2009 presenting a novel approach to edge bundling in influencer network visualizations (via visualcomplexity).
We work a lot with this type of graphical analysis in TCG research projects – usually taking a simple citation analysis approach to data, with the visualizations produced using Touchgraph Navigator. While these visualizations can deliver powerful and unique insight into online community dynamics, the ’spaghetti junction’ effect that occurs with maps of densely packed / tightly networked communities can sometimes make them hard to navigate.
This approach looks like it could go some considerable way to addressing the problem, and I’m really keen to see it working in the social graphing field.
