Election 2010 and social media

I've spent the last few days trying to convince the technical powers-that-be to install all manner of software on various computers around the building. This is because, as we all know, it's the first election in a social-media dominated world and we need the tools to keep up. On Thursday night as Derek Bateman and I take to the wireless (to use the old fashioned terminology) for Election 2010 many millions more will be booting up laptops, pc's and handhelds and letting the world know their election thoughts via blogs, status updates and, of course, tweets.

Facebook was the demesne solely of American college students when Tony Blair secured an historic third term in 2005 and Twitter was just one year old when Alex Salmond took up the reins as First Minister. But now no self respecting political operator is without either of these, or other, web behemoths. Nick Clegg has posted a video on a Facebook site supporting his cause and You Tube is the home of WebCameron, the Tory leader's own personal channel.

So while BBC Radio Scotland is on air and using the traditional resources of correspondents, reporters and producers to cover the results live across Scotland, in the studio we'll also be following the story on-line. The Twitterati (I hope that phrase was invented with tongue firmly in cheek) and the bloggers will help us to piece together the story of what will be the most unpredictable election night in a generation."

Nick Rougvie is one of the presenters of Newsdrive on BBC Radio Scotland.