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How To Supplement Election Coverage?
An anonymous reader asks "What information sources and social networking sites will you be using to supplement the election coverage on TV next Tuesday? I am ready with a big HDTV with Comcast, a Mac mini, and and an Xbox 360. I also have two laptops (one good for websites and one for streaming video), an old-school Blackberry, a 'regular' cell phone, a Nokia N810, a Squeezebox, and finally Sirius Satellite Radio. Which websites should I watch for live county results? I already know about the Twitter Vote Report for tracking and reporting voting issues and I already watch 'CNN Reporters' on Friendfeed for the national flair. What other Twitter accounts should I follow? Which urgent ones should I send to my phones? Which YouTube accounts or keywords I should subscribe to in Miro? What are the most popular sites for posting 'on-scene' videos — iReport, Flickr, something else? I know most local Fox affiliates are great about streaming, but is there a page that lists all of the streams, in case I need to quickly focus on one city or area? Basically, how would you configure all those gadgets?" This reader might find some guidance in what to focus on from a video produced by reader (and data modeler) Bruce Nash that lays out a predicted timeline for when the media will call each state, depending on when the polls close and how tight each race is expected to be.
"What other Twitter accounts should I follow?" Lol.... You actually want to hear what twitter has to say?
I could stop at one-fifth if one ticket wins, but I'll need to finish the bottle if the other major ticket wins.
Developers: We can use your help.
...you wouldn't need to check the results!
I'm going to need at least an eigthth.
"I am ready with a big HDTV"
I dunno about you all but I am PSYCHED about seeing EVERY PORE on John McCain's face during his concession speech. I mean, election coverage without picture-perfect high definition quality is just not acceptable.
Whoosh.
There are at least two contexts in which that is funny.
Just wait for the newspaper to come out in the morning. They're always right.
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"I can't complain, but sometimes still do..." Joe Walsh
This reader might find some guidance in what to focus on, when, in a video[...]
Isn't it a bit presumptions to assume that, just because he posts on Slashdot, he's actually a reader?
Property is theft.
You'll learn a lot more than you ever could at the sphincter end of a twitter feed.
Is there any other end to a Twitter feed?
This guy's the limit!
What better way to spend election night than to watch with elation as the Fox people have to call state after state for Obama? Grab a beer and tune in to Fox. Maybe every now and then tune in to another organization to see if they've already called states for Obama that Fox is waiting to call because they just can't stand it.
Also, check the Sunday newspaper next week. They often put stories about important events from the week in the Sunday newspaper. Take a look around page seven, if it's a really big event, it might be on page five or even page three. If you can't find any news stories about it in the Sunday newspaper, check the classified ads. There might be an ad in there congratulating the victors.
Other information sources you might like to try are: wait for the 2009 Webster's Encyclopedia to be printed. It should have the 2008 election results in it. (You could try the new-fangled "online encyclopedia called Wikipedia, but it is known to be unreliable.) Or try casually standing around a water cooler in an office building. Somebody is likely to turn up for a drink of water and say "How about them Patriots, eh?" or whatever team it is you're supporting. Then you'll know.
You seem to think the more screens you watch the election results on, the better informed you will be.
If you have multiple screens, you'll multiple sources of information. Thus, better informed as results come in and the media does their speculation. While I don't plan on turning on my gaming consoles or giving a damn about twitter, I will have at least two news channels on TV (split pip) and multiple laptops around loaded with different news websites. I will also be drinking with friends and causing a general ruckus.
It will be interesting watching MSNBC vs FOX, etc... Maybe even your precious BBC, who knows?
The submitter's question isn't that unique, just odd that he mentioned so many damn devices.