Noiszy

Default Sites

The updated default site list is still focused on news & media, but the list is now drawn from a couple of sources:

1. US-focused sources from Alexa's list of top news sites (minus sites that focus on the weather)
2. Additional news sites that have been particularly relevant to current US news

All of these sites can be enabled or disabled as you wish.  Most are enabled by default, with a couple of exceptions:

1. Sites with limited free content (New York Times, Washington Post)
2. Sites that are extra-politically-charged
3. Reddit, because of the higher likelihood that users are already signed in (compared to other news sites)

Please note that inclusion of a site on the default list is not in any way an endorsement of that site's content.

Custom Sites

You can now add your own sites to Noiszy!  Since Noiszy moves from page to page within a site by clicking onsite links at random, there are some things to keep in mind when adding sites.

1. On ecommerce sites, it's possible for Noiszy to click to purchase.  Noiszy can't enter your payment info (or any other info), so that alone should prevent unwanted purchases virtually all of the time; but, if you're already logged in with saved payment information, it's technically possible for Noiszy to click a "Buy Now" button.  Unless you're ok with surprise purchases, it's probably best not to run Noiszy on these sites.  We've blacklisted Amazon and Ebay, so they can't be added to Noiszy, because they're higher-risk for accidental purchases.  (Note that Noiszy can't be held liable for the links that it clicks; use at your own risk.)
2. Noiszy is designed to burst filter bubbles, and that means convincing site personalization engines that you're interested in a wide, random list of things.  Some sites do personalization well, and create great recommendation lists.  Avoid using Noiszy on sites where you like and appreciate the recommended content.
3. Noiszy creates a limited amount of data, so when that data has a narrower focus, it has a bigger effect.  For maximum filter-bubble-bursting, focus Noiszy on a smaller number of sites.
4. If you're running Noiszy on news sites, you'll see the biggest impact if you focus on these two groups:
   1. Sites you visit often
   2. Sites whose viewpoints are the opposite of the sites you visit often.
5. Please do not use Noiszy to inundate small, well-meaning sites - especially those that aren't using personalization or retargeting - with data.  

One other area that's useful to be aware of is this: Noiszy is more relevant on sites that use more personalization / retargeting tools.  More to come on that topic in the future.