John Howard has finally called the election, and a number of sites have used this opportunity to put some great tools online. Here are a selection of sites that will help you get a better insight (as well as have a giggle) in the lead up to the election.
Google: http://www.google.com.au/election2007/
A very cool one stop shop to see electoral boundaries, see colour codes on which party holds what seat and check out the propaganda churned out by various parties on YouTube.
News.com.au: http://www.news.com.au/feature/0,,5012863,00.html?CMP=KNC-google
This contains the latest news from the election campaign trail. Possibly the best thing is the Vote-A-Matic. Answer a number of questions ranging from Health and Families through to the Economy and the Vote-A-Matic tells you who you should vote for!
ABC: http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/
This site contains a swing calculator that allows you to see what happens if there is a percentage swing to either party, and how many seats this party would win (on a two party preferred basis). Also has a “pollie” tracker so you can see where Kev and Johnny are at the moment.
You Tube: http://www.youtube.com
A collection of not so official clips can be found at YouTube.
To Search for Videos About Kevin:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Kevin+Rudd&search=Search
To Search for Videos About Johnny:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=John+Howard&search=Search
Overall each of these sites are employing technology to increase the user experience and make the browsing experience fun and interesting. Full points must go the News.com.au Vote-A-Matic. This tool captures users attention for at least 3 – 4 minutes, and is a great way to keep users on your site.
It’s also interesting that a number of the clips on YouTube have excellent production values. Such clips as from FairFax Media: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcXkvG7F1_E show that companies are using YouTube as a great way to get their message broadcasted without having to pay for airtime.
