Chrome add-on lets users annotate the web

Factlink enables anyone to add a comment or reference to any piece of text on the web.

One of the problems of conducting research on the internet, or even partaking in online discussions, is that misinformation can often go unchecked and spreads easily. In the past we’ve seen platforms such as TruthMarket aim to bring to account those making statements in public, and now Factlink enables anyone to add a comment or reference to any piece of text on the web.

Available as a browser add-on for Google Chrome, once installed the application adds a small speech bubble button to the side of any paragraph on the internet. Regardless of whether they’re reading a news article, blog post or social media comment, users can click the button to highlight the paragraph and add their own comment under their Facebook or Twitter handle. Users can add their opinion, a clarification or even a reference which backs up the claims made in the original text. Once they’ve made their annotation, anyone else reading the article who’s also using the add-on will be able to see that someone has left a comment and can add to the same discussion with their own thoughts. The system also includes an ‘Interesting’ button — similar to Facebook’s ‘Like’ — which enables them to show appreciation for a particular section of an article, rather than the whole piece. The video below offers a short demonstration of the service:

Website owners can also install FactLink to enable more effective discussion about their own posts. Are there other ways that discussing and sharing content on the web could be revamped?