I’m now two weeks into the new job and I’m really enjoying it.  Whereas in s1 the empahsis was (rightly) on long term planning and multi-month development cycles, the new job is much more instant.  Like a daily printed newspaper, we’re already putting together online features that have a lifespan of just a few days, but which attract a big audience while they’re live.

This week we put together a special section for the US Election.  It wasn’t till the day before the election that we started putting everything togther.  Using freely available tools, data and widgets, we knocked together a fairly impressive page featuring a live results map, photos, videos and a live as-it-happens blog.

The blogging software, from CoveritLive, was the most impressive part.  It allowed a number of journalists, editors, photographers and columnists — based both in the office and in the US — to contribute to a live, constantly updating blog stream.  The streaming coverage included text, photos, videos and user questions.  It ran right through the night from 8pm till around 5am when the election was decided.  

Here’s a wee grab of how it looked on the night.