FAQ2020-09-05T18:39:05+02:00

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Below you’ll find answers to some of the questions we get a lot.

Select a category if you don’t find the answer straight away. If you still can’t find the answer feel free to [contact us here].

Does Vortimo record PDFs I visit?2021-02-26T08:18:09+02:00

TLDR; not right now, and not how you’d expect it to.

The longer version is this – the extension that records the web pages to your database is really JavaScript that gets injected into every page you view. It means – no page, no extension, no recording. So – when you open a PDF file – there is no place to insert the JavaScript, meaning – Vortimo does not even know you went there.

Clearly this is not a great situation (since a lot of juicy info could be on these pages). We plan to make a (open source) PDF viewing site – that will basically change the PDF into HTML so that we can record it. You will then be able to open the PDF on our site – we will be able to show all the fun meta data too – and it will be recorded because now it’s HTM.

Of course, since it’s open source you will be able to host this yourself if you don’t want to send the PDFs to us. What? You don’t trust us??? 🙂

Don’t ask us when we’ll have it. The answer is always soon.

I get ‘Unable to connect to desktop app’ – what gives?2021-05-01T09:23:41+02:00

If you get this it means that you haven’t installed the database application on your PC/Mac
OR
It means that the extension can’t connect to it. It happens when you install the extension first and then the database app. Since the installer kills any running Java application (and a small part of extension – the part that communicates from the extension to the app – is in Java) you need to RESTART THE EXTENSION. You can do this by going to extensions and just flip the extension’s on/off switch (or using the reload button – which basically does the same).

How do you pronounce ‘Vortimo’?2021-05-01T09:25:17+02:00

‘Vortimo’ is pronounced  WOR TEAM-OH.

Some people pronounce it WORTI MOH – like it’s a distant cousin of Voldemort from Harry Potter. But it’s not, and they’re wrong. However – you can call it whatever you like. Some people say Leenux and some say LieNax but we all know they’re trying to say ‘Linus Torvalds’, so, actually  —  it’s OK.

What’s your privacy policy like? Where’s it at?2021-01-25T15:45:48+02:00

Our privacy policy is available in human readable form on the [Legal] page. You should read it.

Who is funding Vortimo? Who is the parent company?2020-07-04T12:57:53+02:00

There is no parent company and funding is by the directors of the company. There is no ‘big brother’ with ulterior motives behind Vortimo.

Which country is Vortimo from?2020-07-04T12:53:01+02:00

Vortimo is a South African company and we’re South African.
(Eish bro, stop bietjie daai dikgat boerewors boef by die bring-en-braai op sy bromponie voor hy nou-nou ‘n boggerop maak!)

Does ‘Vortimo’ mean anything specific?2020-07-19T20:15:36+02:00

‘Vortimo’ means ‘truth’ in the Romani language… but it’s also just a nice sounding word!

Who should use Vortimo?2020-07-02T06:54:46+02:00

Vortimo can be used by anyone that uses a browser to research a topic. This includes investigators that are profiling individuals or companies, intelligence analysts using open source intelligence (OSINT), IT security personnel or even academics doing domain specific research. Vortimo collects and organises information that came from your browser – so it does not matter if you’re browsing the web, using social networks or visiting your company’s intranet.

What tech stack does Vortimo use?2021-05-01T09:25:53+02:00

Vortimo is made up of three parts:

  1. Browser extension (for Chrome, Brave, and most likely now, Edge) –  Javascript of course.
  2. Client database application / server. This is where the heavy lifting happens. Java application with embedded graph DB.
  3. Front end UI (web) – we’re using React.
I am getting ‘Incompatible server version’. What gives?2020-07-02T06:55:31+02:00

The browser extension and the database app check each other to make sure that they’re on the same version. When you see a message like that it means that most likely there is a newer  database application available. You should check the download section of the website and update your application.

Do you offer training?2020-07-08T06:46:26+02:00

We will offer online training via a 3rd party – links will be disclosed once confirmed. You should also look at the tutorial videos – it’s under ‘Tutorials’ on the [‘Help‘] page.

Which browsers are supported?2021-01-25T15:44:18+02:00

We have tested Vortimo on Chrome, Brave, Edge and Opera, but any of the Chromium based browsers should work. There are [quite a few] – more than we expected!

Why are the prices per month but I pay per year?2021-05-01T09:26:20+02:00

Because that makes you think you’re paying less. That makes it more likely that you’ll buy a license. And we like money – because 1) we like money 2) it gives us the ability to keep on developing on the product 3) it’s a sign of appreciation from you to us. While nr1 is nice, nr2 is needed – but even more so- nr3 is needed too.

 

Edit 2020-11-12: We have now put the prices per year. It’s just a little creepy to price it per month and bill per year.

Can I add my own link or widgets?2020-06-26T14:40:55+02:00

Not at the moment. We envisage a time in the near future where you’ll be able to log into a server and set up your own links and widgets from there.

Does Vortimo store my data in the cloud?2021-05-01T09:27:55+02:00

No, all data is stored locally.

In future we want to introduce Vortimo servers where collaborative investigations / research can happen – but those would be hosted by the organization that requires them.

Also – you should read our [Privacy Policy].