Versionista

ProPublica uses Versionista to highlight changes to WhiteHouse.gov

Peter Bray — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 22:06:53 +0000

ProPublica uses Versionista to highlight changes to WhiteHouse.gov

We’re excited that ProPublica, a non-profit investigative journalism newsroom, has released ChangeTracker, which lets visitors view the most recent changes to WhiteHouse.gov (and several other government sites). This service uses Versionista as a back-end. You can even “steal their code” to create your own custom RSS and other alert systems using Yahoo Pipes and Versionista.

Update: They already found a pretty interesting edit!

Versionista Launches Integrated Web Versioning; New Feature Lets Webmasters Offer Interactive Archive of all Site Pages to End-users

Peter Bray — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 01:48:30 +0000

Versionista Launches Integrated Web Versioning; New Feature Lets Webmasters Offer Interactive Archive of All Site Pages to End-users

Today, Versionista is pleased to release a powerful new feature that allows Webmasters to easily include automated revision history into their site.

Once activated, Versionista’s integrated Web versioning automatically includes a “last revised” timestamp on every monitored page. A click on the timestamp allows visitors to interactively explore archives of previous versions, visually noting the exact words and sentences that have been added or deleted from edit to edit.

With an ever-growing demand for greater transparency, accountability, and enhanced disclosure, Versionista’s integrated Web versioning affords Web sites the ability to comprehensively engage with visitors. A public archive of any Web page’s previous versions lets visitors note changes since their last visit, and get a better sense of both the frequency and relevance of ongoing edits.

Read more…

Denouement

Peter Bray — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:43:34 +0000

We just wrote a summary of interesting edits to the Obama and McCain sites. Find it here.

McCain lawyers up?

Peter Bray — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 03:33:08 +0000

Florida replay? McCain is looking for law students and concerned citizens…

Net neutrality changes?

Peter Bray — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:11:42 +0000

Another recent Slate.com piece highlighted more changes to candidates’ Web sites caught by Versionista, noting, particularly, edits on Internet privacy on Obama’s Technology page. This latter edit caused quite a bit of stir online, particularly with a Slashdot reference. The Obama campaign responded as noted in this Wired article.

ABC News blog on Versionista

Peter Bray — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:02:43 +0000

A nice summary of Versionista from ABC News Science and Technology blog.

Where’s Sarah?

Peter Bray — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:31:13 +0000

Palin did actually appear at this New Mexico rally. Not sure, then, why reference to her is removed the day after?

Timing

Peter Bray — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:25:41 +0000

Deletions from Pelosi’s Security page and the removal, from whitehouse.gov, of a link to the Hurricane Katrina section both raise questions of timing.

McCain links…

Peter Bray — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:02:55 +0000

We didn’t realize until now that the McCain site linked to Versionista again. They were highlighting edits to Obama’s Social Security page.

More notably, another use of Versionista by the McCain site garnered some international press. Their highlight of changes to Obama’s Urban Policy page, and the deletion of reference to a Foreclosure Prevention Fund, was mentioned in The Scotsman, The Press and Journal, and The Spectator.

Versionista press

Peter Bray — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:31:00 +0000

Slate.com published many, many interesting Versionista edits. If you’re interested to see recent edits to the political sites, check the Slate article for notable before-and-after comparisons. (Note that we have a new logo in Slate… you will be seeing it here as soon as we get the new site design in place.)

The Slate piece was used as a basis for this Dutch article. Perhaps related, we also got another mention in CNET.