An experiment in mass collaboration

Today's European Election - at least in the UK - is an interesting experiment in mass collaboration. After weeks of scandal around MP's expenses all bets are off about what will happen. There is great fear in the ether that something bad might happen - will this be the end of Gordon Brown? or will the BNP or UKIP do well?

Some people have argued that the British electorate is remarkably good at making the right decisions - always choosing the party that will do the best for the country. Armed with huge amounts of data, this community of diverse and independent individuals works together to make the best choice - whether individuals agree with it or not...

Others are more pessimistic and are fearful that the mob, stirred up by a hypocritical press, will make an irrational and potentially disastrous choice. One moment you're at the ballot box - the next they're burning the Reichstag...

After years of polls and pollsters, swingometers and surveys it feels odd to have a genuinely unpredictable elections. The question is, what will the British public do?