In 2004, Jeffrey Heer at UC Berkeley demonstrated a project that he had undertaken to analyze Enron's corporate email database. Using various visualization techniques and algorithms, Heer dug deep into Enron's communication network and constructed a tremendously intricate map profiling the communication between respondents.
It was a fascinating piece of work, both vast and deeply complex. Suspicious email threads were exposed, which if detected earlier, might have helped to nab the financial defaulters and prevent Enron's bankruptcy. More importantly, the map demonstrated just how complex the communication network within a single organization can be.
