Open Source Liveblogging the US Elections

Just wrapping up some work I have been doing with the great folks at Sourcefabric who have some outstanding open source publishing tools for radio stations, book publishers and authors and - now - on-line live bloggers. Headquartered in Prague, Sourcefabric are an example of true collaborative thinking and I've watched their products grow organically, reaching a standard that matches or beats what's out there in the commercial market. The secret is that they never stop listening to the community, understand their needs and then turn that into a reliable platform that non-technical people can use. That's why radio stations and on-line publishers are integrating their software into the workflow. 

I also admire the way the European Journalism Centre in Maastricht has developed the liveblogging community, alongside other projects in data journalism. Or if the machines can be trusted to register a vote for the correct candidate? It's far from finished, but it is growing steadily.

One of Sourcefabric's latest projects has been a live blogging tool. Developed using the Superdesk technology. The project has been realised in close collaboration with the Global Editors' Network GEN which is headquartered in Paris. The Livedesk software allows bloggers to search, collate and annotate reports from various sources, giving different perspectives on a single event. Like a neck and neck election in the US. At least, that's what mainstream media is telling us. I wonder if it is really that close. Only a few hours to wait now. Follow the Live Blogging Feed here. And watch the lights on the Empire State Building.

Sourcefabric also believes in collaboration with other journalistic and tech gatherings to build tools that are relevant for today's media. Wherever that may be. One of the latest events in in Buenos Aires.