Add-on Microblogging/Liveblog event node type?

[shawn]

Is anybody working on anything like this? We've been using CoverItLive, but their new monthly subscription is going to bleed us dry.

I got to thinking about it, and the node structure is very similar to a thread. The most labor-intensive part of it is coming up with a view framework that allows for continuous updates without refreshing the page. I guess that would be flash, but maybe it's possible with ajax or something else. I'm not sure.

I'm also trying to get my head around how we'd package it. Right now, we're embedding some iframes and flash objects (hard coded sometimes) into a wordpress page. I haven't come up with a tidy way of doing that in XF... except maybe to embed the liveblog node object into an XF page manually... or maybe make heavy use of something like Waindigo's Custom Fields.

I have some cash to put toward development costs, but probably not enough. My goal here is to determine what the ideal project requirements are and to help fund the development.

 

[TheBigK]

+100! I want this!

 

[shawn]

Just for reference, this is what our typical event page looks like. The liveblog portion is at the top left, there's a schedule of the day's events to the right, and then live video feeds are shown below. After the event is complete, we usually delete the live video windows and post links to photo galleries, official lap time charts, etc.

Within the liveblog window, we use their "news flash" function to post current running order, previous race finishing orders, etc. We also post photos. We do cross-post some things to Facebook manually. I haven't thought about how/whether XF's built-in Facebook functionality would work for that part.

 

[Dannymh]

Just because I like bumping old threads. I have a very simple addon that integrates 24liveblog into my system.

You create a thread with a prefix, that prefix triggers the inclusion of the code. Your thread title includes the ID of the live blog such as

title: Live blog of Apple event [123456789]

Then the live blog is embedded above the thread and the users use your forum to thread to comment on the blog. It works well enough. Requires you to still create the blog on 24liveblog but looks pretty cool and works really well

 

[Jaxel]

Couldn't you technically use TaigaChat for this? Make a second room, only allow certain users to post in it?

 

[Dannymh]

I think they support different things. Whilst chat would work it's far from perfect. The live blog needs to be apart from the comments.
I'm think having the live log above the forum thread with the first post holding the details and replies being the cements gives the better solution