Discussion systems

• Author: Daniel Clemente Laboreo (Web site)
• Title of the work: Diskussionssysteme (Discussion systems)
• Language: German
• Tutor: Dr. York Sure (Web site)
• Professor: Prof. Rudi Studer (Web site)
• Institute: AIFB (Angewandte Informatik und formale Beschreibungsverfahren)
• University: Universität Karlsruhe
• My university: FIB, UPC, at Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain)
• My study there: "Ingeniería técnica en informática de sistemas"
• Thesis presented as: Studienarbeit in Karlsruhe, but final thesis for me. 18 ECTS.
• Submission date: September 2007
• BibTeX-code: to cite the work, you may use the code in cita-BibTeX.txt

Argumentation is present both in everyday life and in the scientific world, for instance in the form of problem solving, decision making, and exchange and justification of opinions. However, the computer programs which are normally used to discuss are not specialized in handling and managing arguments. This thesis comprises an analysis phase and a design phase. Firstly we will describe the scenarios where computers can help in supporting discussions. Many use examples will show how broad is this topic, since a lot of usual tasks can be also understood as discussion. It follows a description of the currently used approaches for this purpose: some specialized programs and their theoretical basis, like notations and methodologies, will be described, but also the basic communication tools of the Internet will be considered, since in practice they are the ones which are really used to hold discussions. The design phase of this thesis aims at improving the way in which the current programs handle argumentation: on the one hand we will propose some combinations of existing technologies which are easy to put in practice; on the other hand some new and grounded ideas will be presented, which can help to develop a single and basic discussion system able to satisfy all the use cases.

I wrote the thesis in German after a year of studying it; therefore there are still some errors and many strange or uncommon expressions. I did receive lots of corrections, however not for the whole paper: in particular the last sections were not much revised. Nevertheless I go on correcting further (at: Dec. 2007), and I even am working at some translations.

At the moment it's available only in PDF-format:

Diskussionssysteme: disk.de.pdf (about 500 Kb)

Stand: 10.10.2007. This version includes more corrections than the version I presented (at 28.9.2007).

If you have criticism, proposals, corrections, interest or ideas for the thema etc., write me!

If you don't have time to read in German, try to switch to the Spanish version of this page, there's a list of the contents of each chapter.

December 2007. "Herr" Daniel Clemente Laboreo. Address of this page: http://www.danielclemente.com/disk/