Yesterday’s experiment with the world’s first live-blogging event from audio had mixed results.

Traffic from the (Canadian) Thanksgiving weekend resulted in a delay by about 45 min. after the event officially started, but it was still before the main speakers arrived.

One of the best features of the minimal lag time for the text conversion, usually within a minute or two from calling in the message.  There were absolutely no problems getting through to the line to the service.  Updates were made hours in advance to any mainstream media coverage, except possibly live television.

But the biggest limitation appeared to be accurately recognizing the voice message, despite efforts to speak slowly and clearly.  Specifically, names were frequently missed and dropped out entirely, especially if they were in any way unique.  Stéphane Dion and Jean Chrétien were obviously missed, even with (and perhaps because of) a French enunciation.

Situational factors also intervened.  There was no telephone reception in the main room, meaning real-time play-by-play developments could not be posted as planned.  A considerable amount of background noise, including the live pounding of dhol drummers easily drowned out attempts to call in.

The utility of this call in technique was still demonstrated.  Telephone reception is usually better than laptop reception would be anyways.  Most events will not have such an overwhelming amount of background noise, and a Bluetooth attachment would easily allow hands-free updates in frequent intervals.  Word recognition could use some work, but as long as names are avoided it generally seems to do a decent job.  Even this issue can be addressed by the option to attach a link to a voice file for each post, which would clarify any ambiguities present.

Aside from media personnel using this for covering events, voice to blog applications can be used in meetings, conferences, or even emergent situations (“I need help ASAP for ____ Please contact me if available).  It’s definitely easier than trying to text or open a laptop for quick status updates, especially since the service provides a (free) local telephone number to call in to.

Text of posts that did manage to get posted are below, with some edits indicating where text was lost.

Friday, October 10, 2008 9:18 PM
“Summary of today’s talk, a vote for Harper is a vote for more lies.”
Friday, October 10, 2008 9:07 PM
“Finally got out. There was no reception in the building at all so I couldn’t update anything.”
Friday, October 10, 2008 7:46 PM
“[With} Andrew Cam[p]bell of the Ontario [Young Liberals] Liberal’s and talking about how incredibly packed this place is and what a wonderful turnout we have.”
Friday, October 10, 2008 7:43 PM
” [Jean Chrétien,] former Prime Minister of Canada has arrived to large applause by the crowd.”
Friday, October 10, 2008 7:37 PM
“Adam Isa [, a] leader [in] of the Somali community is also here[.]  [The atmosphere is] staff are exciting.  [Jean Chrétien and Stéphane Dion] are expected to arrive shortly.”
Friday, October 10, 2008 7:27 PM
“Just supposed to daily  area. [ran into ______, a Toronto] Lawyer, the [ in the Toronto area. The] mood is upbeat.”
Friday, October 10, 2008 7:20 PM
“Just land [ran] into Ryan [Singh} of the Ontario y[Y]oung Liberals right here in the street. So, [it] seams like every body is having hard time finding parking.”
Friday, October 10, 2008 7:16 PM
“There’s so many people here to see Deon [Dion] here today there’s not even [any] parking left, so we [will] have to find parking some where else.”
Friday, October 10, 2008 7:13 PM
“Arriving at saint un, Edmond Campion Secondary School about 45 mins after the event has started. Let['s] see what I can catch.”
Friday, October 10, 2008 6:36 PM
“Between the four accidents on the highway and long weekend traffic, it looks like I might be a little bit late.”
Friday, October 10, 2008 5:46 PM
“Shelley [Filling] up gas in kitchner. Vault [Vote] Liberal for cheaper gas.”
Friday, October 10, 2008 4:38 PM
“[...] The first micro blog in history to cover a political event live.”
Friday, October 10, 2008 4:37 PM
“I’m leaving London Ontario for Brampton while doing the first audible micro blog in history.”

Live-blogging is a strange beast.

That’s what Ivor Tossell’s headline said in yesterday’s Globe.

Live-blogging is definitely not something new, but it does seem to be catching on in Canada.

Tossell said,

It seems like every news organization that has something to prove (and there are none that don’t) has spontaneously taken up the practice of live-blogging. It might have something to do with election season, which has spread live blogs the way the fall weather gives everyone the same cold at once.

Live-blogs are actually micro-blogs, or short status updates that cover an event in frequent intervals.

Seeing how Omar Ha-Redeye’s face is currently plastered from coast-to-coast on television defining the basics of technology in politics, it might be wise to demonstrate aptitude one step ahead of the mainstream media.

Omar will be covering an event tonight, live-blogging using entirely new technology.  Well, the technology has been there for a while, but it hasn’t been used in this way ever before as far as we can tell.

Stéphane Dion is celebrating Canada’s multicultural heritage tonight in Brampton.  He will be introduced by Rt. Hon. Jean Chrétien, and accompanied by Andrew J. Kania, Ruby Dhalla, Omar Alghabra, Hon. Navdeep Bains, Bonnie Crombie, Hon. Albina Guarnieri, Hon. Gurbax Malhi and Paul Szabo.

He will call in updates using SpinVox, which will be coverted to text using Ping.fm and posted as a live-blog.  You can follow him on Twitter, or one of the many other social network services that support mirroring.

There will be a lof of activity on these sites in the next little while, but it will all be over in a few hours.