A Time Decoupling Approach for Studying Forum Dynamics

Proposes decoupling temporal information about forum users into event sequences and inter-event times, creating a novel feature space for analyzing communication patterns. Applied to 30,000+ users across four internet forums, the method reveals communication dynamics invisible to traditional approaches.

Develops a formal method for separating temporal user behavior into event sequences and inter-event time distributions, creating a new feature space that captures communicative patterns invisible to conventional analysis. The decoupling approach reveals that the meaningful structure in forum participation lies not in what users say but in the temporal signature of how they engage, offering a formal insight into the semantics of participation rhythms.