Muckety

Muckety help topics

Having problems seeing the interactive maps?

Muckety maps are designed for Flash version 9.0 and higher. You may need to get the latest version of Flash.

Some map features - such as directional arrows - don’t work properly in older versions of browsers such as Firefox. We recommend that you update your browser to take full advantage of the maps.

Some ad-blocking applications prevent Flash from loading. If you use such software, you’ll need to set Muckety as an “allowed site.”

Searching Muckety

You can search for names or organizations from the search box at the top right of every page, or from the search box within every Muckety map.

Exploring the maps

Muckety maps are intereactive You can expand or delete entries, rearrange them, save maps and view maps full screen. Right click on a box in the map to see a list of options, or click on the Map Tools bar at the left of the map.

Boxes with + signs in the upper right corner have more relationships than are shown in the map. You can see these by doubleclicking on the box. Or just click once and press e. Or click on the box you’re interested in, go to Map Tools and choose expand.

Dotted lines between boxes in a map indicate former relationships. Solid lines represent current relationships.

Map Tools

If you click on the Map Tools bar at the left of the map, a toolbox will open, showing various options. The shortcuts on the right (such as e for expand, or d for delete) can be done by pressing that key on your keyboard after selecting the box or boxes you want to expand or delete.

Drag your mouse over each option for a more complete description of what it will do.

Groups

When there are seven or more people or organizations with the same relationship to another person or organization, they’ll be grouped in the map. (An example would be the U.S. Senate, where current senators and former senators are grouped.

To ungroup them, simply double click on the group box. Or just click once on the box and press u. Or click on the box you’re interested in, go to Map Tools and choose ungroup.

Beware: Large groups, when ungrouped, can overcrowd your map! You might want to switch to fullscreen before ungrouping.

Map color key

Items in our maps are color coded to help distinguish different types of entities displayed in the maps. The following is a list of what the different colors represent:

Map color living peopleliving people
Map color deceased peopledeceased people
Map color business and other organizationsbusinesses and other organizations
Map color government organizationsgovernment organizations
Map color fictional peoplefictional people
Map color fictional organizationsfictional organizations
Map color booksbooks
Map color grouped itemsgrouped items

Searching for once-removed connections

You can search for connections between two names by using AND in your query. Let’s say, for example, you want to know if there are any direct connections between the Obama White House and AIG. You could search for:

Obama administration AND AIG

On your results page, check the boxes for American International Group and Barack Obama administration. Then click the MucketyMap button. You’ll see that Richard C. Holbrooke - U.S. special envoy and a former AIG director - connects the two.

Saving maps

Once you’ve finished expanding, deleting and arranging relationships, you can save your results by right-clicking or going to the Map Tools box and selecting save. Be sure to save the URL so that you can call up the map later, or send it to others.

You can create a title for the map, by overwriting the default title, “My Saved Map.” (Muckety reserves the right to delete or edit map titles if they are offensive, incorrect, misleading or otherwise inappropriate.)

Loading your own data

We’re developing several ways for you to make Muckety maps with your own data. If you’d like more information, please send us an email, at customer-request@muckety.com or call us at 212-924-0702..

Tips for putting maps on your website or blog

13 Comments

  • #1.   Alfred Escher 03.26.2009

    Great idea, great product once it will be finished! Congratulation!

    Please let me know when you plan to allow users to draw their own maps and adding their own data. This would be a great tool to visualize business and personal networks.

    Thanks
    Alfred Escher

  • #2.   Laser Haas 04.05.2009

    I have put up a link to your map(s) on our website.

    How do we get involved in creating our own map
    or assisting in adding stuff to your maps already created?

    Wonderful Stuff you guys have here!

  • #3.   Laurie Bennett 04.06.2009

    You can create your own maps from the data that’s already in our databases. (The toolbar includes many functions for you to manipulate the map, and then save it.) We’re working on the technology needed to enable our users to upload their own data. Expect news on this later in 2009!

  • #4.   Steven W, Hendrix 04.11.2009

    Wow, I really think this is an excellent idea, good thinking out of the box!

  • #5.   Henry 04.12.2009

    Great idea, you should put in a search option allow users to look up individuals on Wikipedia

  • #6.   Tom Lavin 04.24.2009

    Please tell me when I can link David-Rockefeller to Council-On-Foreign-Relations at can be verified at http://www.cfr.org/content/about/annual_report/ar_2008/Historical_Roster2008.pdf
    In fact, I would like to map all of the Historical CFR Directors and Officers as the URL above listed as reported by the Council itself.

  • #7.   Ian Green 04.27.2009

    I really want to be able to edit my own muckety’s, but also it is really necessary for people to be able to submit entries to muckety. Have a look and compare all the connections in the database for GW Bush, for example, with Adolf Hitler! — Like AH Germany! That’s it! There’s a much more interesting muckety available there! … (for the sake of historical research)

  • #8.   B.F 04.30.2009

    The map of the Pacific Council on International Policy is grossly inadequate. This organization is the Western partner of the Council on Foreign Relations, their membership overlaps, and yet you only display to individuals connected with it. You need to put your gofers to work!

  • #9.   Tim O'Connell 05.09.2009

    If a reader is aware of connections not (yet) shown on Muckety Maps, is there a quick way to bring them to your attention? E.g., news stories, or similar public information you could check, I am not referring to private or personal matters. A current example is your Leon Panetta entry. Since his nomination to a government post he has resigned most of his other positions, and in the case of California Forward, a new leader has been appointed, Robert Hertzberg, who is a Muckety in his own right but for whom you have only the simplest of connections.

  • #10.   Laurie Bennett 05.10.2009

    Muckety has just recently added a comment section to every profile page on the site. The best way to point out inaccuracies or incomplete information is to visit the Muckety page for that person or organization and post a comment there (with sourcing, whenever possible). We check these as they come in, and very much appreciate this feedback.

  • #11.   Ernesto DeVita Jr 05.24.2009

    I would like to make Mucket for some important Personalities of the world History.

    How is the procedure?

    Mucket is a great

  • #12.   Linda Craib 06.15.2009

    I’m currently a graduate student at the Yale SOM in their executive program. I am currently taking a class (Power & Politics) regarding power networks. I came across your site and would like to create a map for our executive class.

    Linda Craib

  • #13.   Laurie Bennett 06.15.2009

    You might want to take a look at our answer to another user’s question about including a Muckety map in a Power Point presentation. See:
    http://news.muckety.com/comments-and-suggestions#comment-517481

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We make every effort at Muckety to ensure that our data is correct and timely. However, relationships are in constant flux and we cannot guarantee accuracy. If you come across incorrect or outdated information, please let us know.