Social networking played a key, and entertaining, role in describing and analysing events at the Labour conference.
Politicians, journalists and members of the public alike have been using new media tools to engage in the autumn conference season.
Popular social networking site Twitter has been vital for following events both on the conference floor and around the hundreds of fringes – as well as in the hotel bars, where events have hitherto been less public.
Politicians and other attendees at the conference have also used Twitter as a means of contacting people to arrange meetings and co-ordinate schedules.
Broadcasters such as Channel 4 News and Sky News have integrated it into their coverage, using it to both report on the politicians and seek views from the public.
Channel 4 News organised a quickfire 'tweet or dare challenge' for politicians to answer questions tweeted by members of the public on issues ranging from Afghanistan to Gordon Brown's health.
Labour MPs Angela Eagle, Peter Hain and Eric Joyce all took on the challenge, sitting in a specially constructed 'Twit-box'.
And on Monday night Channel 4 News hosted a 'Twinge' ('Twitter fringe', although mistaken by some for a 'Twitter whinge') event at the Labour conference.
Dubbed 'Twinge: You tweet if you want to', the meeting brought together some of Labour's top tweeters to discuss the effect of social networking applications on political participation in the UK.
Foreign secretary David Miliband told the meeting there is "massive" potential for social networking to influence politics and political opinion.
And as if to prove the popularity of Twitter with Labour, Oliver King of Channel 4 News summed up the event as "a total triumph" that produced "really interesting debate - standing room only".
The event will be repeated at the Conservative conference.
Earlier in the week, Labour's former deputy leader John Prescott urged members to 'Tweet for victory' at the general election. And 'Twitter tsar' Kerry McCarthy told Labour tweeters: "We can win the next election, but we won't unless we get our message out there, tweeting our achievements, values and saying what our plans are for the future."
Sky News has also immersed itself in the new media frenzy, with its website including a 'Mindtracker' which works alongside a video of the prime minister's speech.
It includes a rating scale which can be adjusted throughout the clip, allowing the user to give their reaction to specific parts of Brown's address.
And the Sky News website has also included live streams of tweets from its many correspondents who use Twitter.
The Guardian has also used new media to cover the conference, including a live blog of business secretary Lord Mandelson's interview at a fringe on Tuesday night.
And Tweetminster launched a series of party conference websites which included tweets and audio interviews with top politicians.
The organisation, which brings together comments from MPs, PPCs, journalists and other media sources, is the second highest contributor to the Labour conference discussion on Twitter.
ePolitix.com integrated Twitter into its conference pages via a Twub (a Twitter hub) which details all the tweets using the #Lab09 tag.
During Gordon Brown's keynote speech the number of people using the #Lab09 tag was large enough to push it into Twitter's top 10 list of trending topics.
Over the last seven days, the tag was used in 10,537 tweets, which were posted by 1,876 contributors – an average of 1,505tpd (tweets per day).
Inevitably, that revealed one of Twitter's major problems as spammers began using the tag to advertise porn.
But Twitter has provided a platform for Labour supporters to express their desire for unity ahead of the general election, with the prime minister's keynote speech generally receiving a positive reaction.
There are more MPs from Labour, including senior cabinet ministers, using Twitter than from any of its rivals, and the party has put much effort into encouraging its representatives to sign up.
But the Conservatives could regain the initiative as the party prepares to launch new tools for political engagement.
At ConservativeHome, Tim Montgomerie has previewed a new Tory web initiative which is launching this Friday.
With the potential to become "the most sophisticated electioneering kit that any UK political party has ever launched", it is likely to include new ways of supporting the party and spreading its message.
Conservative political commentator Iain Dale blogged that the party is "making no distinction between party members and non-members who support a particular candidate or issue".
With the Conservative conference kicking off this Sunday, leader David Cameron may regret his comments earlier this year.
Speaking to Absolute Radio in July, he said: "The trouble with Twitter, the instant-ness of it - too many twits might make a twat."
The Observer's Gaby Hinsliff tweeted that she "hears a rumour that Eric Pickles may make his Twitter debut" at the Conservative conference.
The Tory chairman will no doubt be striving to ensure his party gets the balance right.
