Hypothes.is
Beyond the course website, a major digital technology tool that we will be using is Hypothes.is.
Hypothes.is is a powerful “social annotation” tool for your web browser that turns any website into something you can annotate with notes and highlights. You can also view others’ annotations, in private groups or publicly. We will be using it to interact with speech texts and videos on this site and across the greater internet.
Hypothes.is is relatively simple to set up and use. It works with any browser, like Firefox, Chrome, or Safari. It also works with tablets and smartphones, although there are a couple of additional steps on those devices for annotating.
There are four steps in this part of the module:
- Set up a Hypothesis account;
- Add a way to toggle Hypothesis on and off on your browser;
- Join a private Hypothesis group for this course
- Practice leaving annotations on your first historical speech
Before you start
Check what internet browser you are using (Firefox, Chrome, Safari, etc.).
The directions will be different for Chrome (installing a plugin) than for other browsers (adding a bookmark link).
No browser is notably better than the other for using Hypothesis; some find Chrome easiest, but I recommend Firefox because it’s open-source and doesn’t sell your data!
Step One: Create a Hypothesis Account
First, you’ll need to head to the Getting Started page for Hypothesis and set up an account of your own. Your username will be visible to other members of your group, so you want to use something that contains your name and so that I can give you credit for your work. (Mine is sbiggie.) Enter an email address that you can access, as you’ll be prompted to verify your account creation by email. This does not have to be your CUNY email.
Step Two: Add Hypothes.is to Your Browser
How you add Hypothesis to your browser depends a little bit on which browser you use. You’ll notice that on the Getting Started page there are two options. One is a plugin exclusively for Google Chrome, while the other is an option for all other browsers:
Google Chrome Users
If you are a Chrome user, you can simply click that button and follow the directions to add the Hypothesis Extension to your browser. Notice that you will be prompted to share information with Hypothesis, but they’re an open-source-minded group and aren’t likely to do bad things with your data (I can’t say the same about Google itself).
This will add a button to toggle Hypothesis on and off on your computer. To make sure the button is activated on Chrome, click the puzzle-piece icon in the top right-hand corner of your browser and “Pin” Hypothesis (make sure the push pin icon is clicked to turn dark blue). You should now see a small button with the Hypothesis logo next to the puzzle icon. Clicking the Hypothesis button will toggle Hypothesis on and off for any website.
All Other Browsers
If you use a browser OTHER than Chrome (Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Opera, etc.), then you’ll need to add a “Bookmarklet” to use Hypothesis. This is a simple step. Notice from this screenshot how I have a “Bookmarks Bar” on my Safari browser (and similarly would if I were using these other browsers). If you can see your Bookmarks Bar as I can, click and drag the Hypothesis Bookmarklet box from the Getting Started page onto your Bookmarks Bar. (Note: This box isn’t exactly a link, but a bit of code, so you’ll need to use click and drag—saving the link as a Bookmark won’t work). A new link should show on your Bookmarks Bar: Hypothesis Bookmarklet. You can rename this link or drag it to the desired location on your Bookmarks Bar. Clicking that bookmark link will toggle on and off Hypothesis on any website.
>Once you’ve got Hypothesis on your browser, you’re ready to continue.
