What the world is tweeting

Well, here's at least what Twitter users are saying about:

Stephen Harper

Stephane Dion

Jack Layton

Elizabeth May

The election

Twittering the debate

Twitter users had a lot to say about last night's election debates, both in Canada and in the U.S.

The micro-blogging site has really come to the forefront as an opinion-sharing/commenting tool for live events like the TV debates, and users are finding innovative ways to take the site beyond simple text messaging:

- Twitter supports the use of "tags" to allow anyone to contribute messages to a shared topic stream. The CBC's Susan Ormiston Online did this last night.

- Elect-o-opinion is a site by two Montrealers that trolls Twitter for messages by and about the five main Canadian parties.

- A Toronto blogger pulled out his favourite tweets of the night.

And for the record, here's a morning-after look back at how the big three parties used their own Twitter feeds last night. No real debate on who gets it:

The Conservatives @ twitter.com/PMHarper
English language debate starting in 15 mins!

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The Liberals @ twitter.com/liberaltour
Great debate! Dion the clear winner, Harper looking deflated – again about 13 hours ago from TwitterBerry      
Debate underway – Dion will remind Canadians Liberals are only Party with a plan for the economy about 14 hours ago from TwitterBerry      
Leader just arrived at the NAC. HUGE crowd of Liberals cheering him on. “Dion, Dion, Dion!” about 15 hours ago from TwitterBerry

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The NDP @ twitter.com/jacklayton

The only leader who can defeat Stephen Harper - http://www.ndp.ca/page/7159 about 12 hours ago from web
Duceppe wrong on NDP Afghan vote - http://www.ndp.ca/page/7156 about 13 hours ago from web
Dreadful state of living conditions in Aboriginal communities: http://www.ndp.ca/page/7153 about 13 hours ago from web
Dion's Dubious Commitment to the Kelowna Accord: http://www.ndp.ca/page/7149 #ormistondebate about 13 hours ago from web
The facts on gun crime in Toronto-Danforth http://www.ndp.ca/page/7148 #ormistondebate about 13 hours ago from web
Dion, Layton, Harper debate fiscal effects of their platforms. Here’s the effects of the three plans: http://www.ndp.ca/page/7145 about 13 hours ago from web
Harper claims his party was “committed to our public health system” the facts: http://www.ndp.ca/page/7142 #ormistondebate about 14 hours ago from web
FACT CHECK: Dion wrong on NDP tax rates plan - http://www.ndp.ca/page/7137 #ormistondebate about 14 hours ago from web
FACT CHECK: Bloc not the only party with a Buy Canada policy - http://www.ndp.ca/page/7136 #ormistondebate about 14 hours ago from web
FACT CHECK: Harper says he is making important investments in science and technology in Canada http://www.ndp.ca/page/7135 #ormistondebate about 14 hours ago from web

UPDATED: Liberal Martha Hall Findlay, a former leadership contender, is trying her hand at Twitter. twitter.com/MHallFindlay

Twitter's real-time U.S. election feed

The micro-blogging site Twitter is filtering its users' messages to collect ones about the U.S. election candidates - creating a real-time feed of what Americans are saying (on Twitter) about the election. Check it out

Campaign 2.0 will check with Twitter to see if such a feed is planned for the Canadian election.

UPDATE: No answer from Twitter PR. I'll "nudge" them.