ConnectionSpotter

What Is ConnectionSpotter?

ConnectionSpotter is a Firefox add-on that enhances the news reading experience by revealing hidden connections between politicians, business people, corporations, and organizations. ConnectionSpotter builds on Poligraft, OpenSecrets, and LittleSis.

Try ConnectionSpotter out on these articles:

• F.C.C. Seeks a New Path on 'Net Neutrality' Rules
• Report Opens Way to Approval for Keystone Pipeline
• Profit Increases, but Revenue Falls at Northrop

Installation Instructions

1. Download the add-on by clicking here.
2. Download Firefox here if you don't already have it.
3. Open Firefox and press Cmd-o (or Ctrl-o if on windows). Navigate to the .xpi file you just downloaded and click Open. Click "Install Now" when prompted.

IMPORTANT: ConnectionSpotter may not work if you are not using the latest version of Firefox. ConnectionSpotter requires version 26 or later. At time of publishing, if you are using the latest ESR release, then your browser does not support ConnectionSpotter. Download a standard distribution before continuing. You can do so with the link in step 2.

CARLETON: Lab machines at Carleton College (where this tool was developed) do not have the latest version of Firefox, so download a newer version from the link provided above. There is also a conflict between ConnectionSpotter and one of the add-ons that is installed on the lab machines. You must reset the Firefox profile before performing step 3. This link explains how to do that (it's easy!).

If you ever want to uninstall ConnectionSpotter, follow the instructions here.

How To Use

After installing, a small eye icon will appear in the add-on bar. This icon will usually be located in the lower right corner of the browser window. If you don't see the icon, your add-on bar may be hidden. Unhide the add-on bar by following these instructions.

When you are reading an article, click the eye to find connections!

The ConnectionSpotter sidebar can be scrolled up and down. You may also resize it by dragging its edge for easier viewing.

Need Help?

Having trouble with ConnectionSpotter? Open an issue on github and I’ll help you sort it out.

Data

Personal asset data provided by OpenSecrets.org. Personal assets are from the 2011 filing, the latest filing available to me digitally at time of publishing.

Chain data provided by LittlSis.org.

Entity extraction powered by Poligraft.com.

ConnectionSpotter is not affiliated with any of these organizations.

Disclaimer

The entities mentioned in the ConnectionSpotter sidebar are not necessarily the same people or organizations mentioned on the webpage you are viewing. Follow the hyperlinks in the sidebar to find out more detailed information about any piece of information. Take care when using the information provided. The chain data is provided by LittleSis, therefore you should also consider their disclaimer.

Legal

The asset data is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. The relationship chain data is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 US.

ConnectionSpotter is released under the MPL 2.0 license

Contact

I can be reached at connectionspotter [at] gmail [dot] com