Frequently Asked Questions

Let's start with the basics. What is MashedIn?

MashedIn is a platform for revealing common connections across different social networks.

Users connect by adding one or more social identities - at present we support Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, with more to come. MashedIn will discover common connections between two people even if they don't share the same social network.

How does it work?

Say you start by connecting with your Facebook identity. You do this by granting us permission to access your account through Facebook Connect. Once we can see inside your account, we can look at your friends list and compute how you're connected to another person through Facebook.

So far this is only mildly impressive. MashedIn really starts to boogie when you add your other social identities. The more identities you provide, the more likely we are to uncover common connections with other people.

What's it good for?

MashedIn can help create a sense of trust among people who've never met.

In the offline world, when we're introduced to someone, we quickly discover mutual connections that allow us to make judgments about the trustworthiness of the new acquaintance. So you used to work at WidgetCorp? Do you know Jane Schlumpford?

We've created a way to replicate that experience online. Now when you encounter a stranger you can find out how you're connected through the social networks you already use. Maybe you're not strangers after all.

Is it secure? Is my privacy protected?

We abide by all the privacy requirements and terms and conditions of the social networks that we connect to. This includes not storing or republishing your identity or friends lists. In addition, any permissions you grant to us to retrieve these lists can be revoked using tools from the social networks. That means you can use your social networking site to remove our access.

Why do you request "Constant Authorization" for Facebook?

We need a lot of computation to figure out how people are connected to one another. Constant Authorization allows us to periodically retrieve your friends list from Facebook so that these computations are current. Facebook only allows us to keep your friends list for up to 24 hours, so we need to continue to retrieve this list in order for MashedIn to work for you.

You can remove our Constant Authorization by going to Settings > Application Settings within Facebook. But please don't!

What is the MashedIn widget?

A widget is a little box that you can add to your website or blog. The widget will display whichever social identities (Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn) you've chosen to add. When visitors come to the site, they can connect with their own social identities and the widget will reveal how they're connected to you through common friends.

On the MashedIn Settings page, you'll configure a widget and add your social identities. Then you'll get a piece of HTML that you can place on your website or blog.

How do I mount a widget on my website?

  1. Go to the MashedIn Settings page.
  2. Sign-in with your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts.
  3. Copy the code from the text area and paste it into your website HTML.

Will the widget work on my blog?

We think so, but there's at least one exception. WordPress.com disables the code that makes our widget work. (Self-hosted WordPress blogs will be fine.)

We haven't tested on every platform out there. If you're unable to get the widget to work on your blog, let us know so we can invent a workaround or at least share in your frustration.