BritainMany commentators dubbed yesterday's British general election boring, but in cyberspace it was anything but.
The four-week campaign sparked an explosion of web logs, blogs ranging from candidates and journalists to voters sending- up politicians and their media machines. It's been open season.
Britons, fed up with dull political broadcasts and endless spin, went online to vent their frustrations on the blogs, essentially internet diaries in which contributors exchange views and engage in often furious debates.
The main issues ranged from the economy and taxation to asylum, immigration and Iraq. Many bloggers cruelly satirised the party leaders.
One message posted on www.freerepublic.com said of prime minister Tony Blair's expected victory: "Smiley shark-like Blair who can assume he'll be forgiven for all his little and not so little lies, US president style, can sleep sound."
Another blogger dubbed "Don't Mention the War" posted a one word entry to describe the campaign: "Depressing."
All entries shared a dissatisfaction with the current political climate. Website notapathetic.com allowed bloggers to post excuses for why they would not be voting yesterday.
Some excuses were apoplectic: "I'm not voting because there is no box on the form that says: 'None of the above lying, two-faced, self-serving, power-mongering, thieves'."
Others were more tongue-in-cheek: "I don't want the right to complain. My old mum says that if you don't vote you can't complain. So I won't."
Tony Blair's online campaign diary was hardly compulsive reading. "Next stop was Gillingham where we stopped at Strand Park play park - a perfect opportunity to treat ourselves to an ice cream," said one entry.
The Church of the Militant Elvis Party mocked the Labour party on their website: "When elected, our candidate will present Mr Blair with an Oscar for his performance as a sincere politician in Carry on Lying."
Their party manifesto even puts forward a novel solution to global warming.
"When elected our MP would like to go to the Antarctic, stand in front of the icebergs and shout 'Stop Melting You Big White Bastards'. It won't do much good, but it's more than Bush and Blair are doing."