Set the facts straight.

Here’s how. Download the Spinoculars toolbar and sign up for an account. You’ll be able to see spin others have spotted while you surf the Web, as well as highlight and comment on bias (or lies) you spot yourself – right where you see it.

Since we’re all just getting started here, it can be hard to find sites “in the wild” with markers left by other SpinSpotters. So we pull the best of them together for you on our site. But someday soon we hope all the Web will be marked up by SpinSpotters like you, and there will be no place for bias, misrepresentations, and bald-face lies to hide.

So, the next time you’re online reading a news story, marketing claim, product review —or anything! — and find yourself asking “Is that true?” use your Spinoculars to highlight the suspected spin. If the story doesn’t hold up, then mark it!

Got it? Good. Now get your Spinoculars, please.

Using Spinoculars

Once Spinoculars are installed, using them is easy. Here’s a quick overview of Spinoculars’ features:

From left to right:

The "S" Icon

The “S” icon (which we call the “SpinSpotter Bug”) doubles as an indicator light to alert you to when spin has been identified on the page.

Whenever there are Spin Markers on the page (i.e., the red highlighted text), the “S” icon will reverse colors so that the white “S” becomes red, and the red swoosh becomes white.

ON/OFF Button

Switch Spinoculars On and Off to show or hide Spin Markers on the page.

See Spin/See Edits

“See Spin” lets you see the original text wherever Spin Markers have been created. “See Edits” lets you see the text changed by SpinSpotters who have added edits.

Spin Level

Gives you control over the Spin Markers that appear on your page. The highest setting of “5” will show only the highest-rated Spin Markers, while the lowest setting of “1” will show all Spin Markers. So, the higher the Spin Level you set, the fewer Spin Markers you will see on your page.

Create Marker

Lets you create your own Spin Markers wherever you go on the Web. Simply select the word or phrase you feel is spinning you, click on the Create Marker button, and you’re on your way!

Share

Lets you share the Web page you are reading through popular services such as Digg, StumbleUpon, and others.

Email

Lets you email the Web page to a friend.

Settings

Lets you control the settings on your Spinoculars.

Spinoculars Help

Gives you tips and support while you're out spotting spin

Markers Found/Markers Shown

Tells you how many total Spin Markers have been created on the page you are reading, and how many of those Spin Markers are actually being shown based on the setting you’ve selected for your Spin Level (see above).

How to Open a Spin Marker

When you see a red highlighted word or phrase on any page, you've found a Spin Marker. To learn more about it, place your mouse over the red highlighted text until the “S” icon appears over the top-right corner of the highlighting. Then, click on the "S" to open the Spin Marker Window.

Using the Spin Marker Window

Reading an Existing Spin Marker

Once the Spin Marker Window is open, you will see (a) the highlighted text from the Web page; (b) the top-rated Description of the spin; and (c) the top-rated Edit to correct the spin (if one has been created). You can also read all Descriptions submitted for that Spin Marker by selecting the “Descriptions” tab, or all Edits submitted for that Spin Marker by selecting the “Edits” tab. For each Description or Edit presented, you can rate it up or down.

Across the bottom of the Spin Marker Window, you will see buttons to (a) Add your own Description, (b) Add your own Edit, (c) Email the Spin Marker to a friend, or (d) Share the Spin Marker using Digg, StumbleUpon, etc. You are also invited to Rate how bad the spin is by voting “High” or “Low”. Your vote will help determine the Spin Rating for the quality of that marker, which will consequently influence how many SpinSpotter users will actually see that marker (based on their respective Spin Level settings–see details about Spin Level settings above).

Note: Your votes on Descriptions, Edits, and Spin Ratings help to determine the Trust Rating of the person who created the marker, and your own Trust Rating as well. So, vote often and judiciously!

Creating a New Spin Marker

To create a new Spin Marker, select the word or phrase on the Web page that caused you to ask, "Is that true?" and click on "Create Marker" on the Spinoculars toolbar. If you are not yet logged in, you will first be asked to provide your Username and Password. You will then provide a brief description of why you think it's spin. For some helpful hints on what spin can look like in different places on the Web, click on "SpinTips." After you enter your description, press “Continue” or "Finish" at the bottom of the Spin Marker Window. To exit the Spin Marker Window once you’ve finished, either click on the “Close Window” button on the top right, or simply click anywhere on the article itself.

Tips on Creating Good Spin Markers

To get a better idea of how spin can show its ugly face in different places on the Web, see our SpinTips page. With your help, we can make the Web a more truthful place.