Topic Interface Anatomy

The topic interface is designed to facilitate deep exploration and understanding of complex concepts through an interactive and structured approach.

Interface Overview

Screenshot: Topic interface showing the "Populism" concept with its definition, context, and relationship mappings

Core Components

Topic Header

• Title: Main concept name (e.g., "Populism")
• Definition: Concise explanation of the concept
• Trust Indicator: Shows confidence level in current understanding (e.g., "Trust 85%")
• Last Update: Timestamp of most recent modifications

Context Section

• Bullet points highlighting key contextual information
• Provides essential background understanding
• Examples from screenshot:
  • Claims to represent the 'true will' of the people
  • Often positions itself against established institutions
  • Can emerge in both left and right political contexts

Effects Framework

Incoming Effects

Shows how other concepts influence or lead to the main topic

• Format: Source → Relationship → Topic
• Example: "Economic Inequality" → "fuels" → "Populism"
• Includes metadata:
  • Context indicator
  • Character count
  • Trust percentage
  • Last update timestamp

Outgoing Effects

Shows how the main topic influences other concepts

• Format: Topic → Relationship → Target
• Example: "Populism" → "undermines" → "Institutional Trust"
• Includes similar metadata as incoming effects

Related Topics

• List of conceptually related topics
• Shows relationship type (via "fuels", "restrains", etc.)
• Provides quick navigation to connected concepts

Action Buttons

Located at the top right:

• Explore: Open a practice room for topic exploration
• Enrich Definition: Add more details to topic definition
• Add Thought: Share thoughts about the topic
• Ask Question: Query about the topic
• Leave Topic: Exit current topic view

Interaction Patterns

Context Building

• Users can progressively build understanding through the context section
• Each context point provides foundational knowledge

Effect Analysis

• Bidirectional relationship mapping shows cause-and-effect chains
• Trust percentages help evaluate relationship strength
• Character counts indicate depth of relationship documentation

Social Learning

• Multiple interaction points for collaborative learning
• Ability to add thoughts and questions
• Practice rooms for group exploration

Trust Building

• Trust indicators throughout the interface
• Updated timestamps show knowledge freshness
• Character counts indicate depth of documentation

Design Philosophy

The interface embodies several key principles:

1. Transparency: Clear trust indicators and metadata
2. Interconnectedness: Explicit relationship mapping
3. Collaboration: Multiple points for social interaction
4. Progressive Discovery: Layered information presentation
5. Active Learning: Practice rooms and exploration options

Technical Implementation

The interface combines several key features:

• Dynamic trust calculation
• Relationship graph visualization
• Temporal tracking (timestamps)
• Interactive elements for user engagement
• Metadata tracking (character counts, trust levels)

Usage Guidelines

For Learners

• Start with the core definition
• Explore context points for foundation
• Analyze incoming and outgoing effects
• Engage with related topics for broader understanding
• Use practice rooms for active learning

For Contributors

• Add thoughts to enrich understanding
• Ask questions to clarify concepts
• Help improve definitions
• Participate in practice rooms
• Validate and refine relationship connections