A compelling event was almost ruined – eclipsed? – by the distraction of a live Twitter feed last night. Congratulations to ResPublica for a thought-provoking event on the state of play with the Big Society. But I’m really sorry – the live Twitter feed was a distraction given the intricate, sometimes technical, sometimes philosophical nature of the discussion.

I’ve been to some debates/discussions where Twitter works well – often I find it’s down to the Chair or compere to insure that Twitter becomes integrated to the live events unfolding in the room.

Whilst the compelling nature of Twitter is undeniable, sometimes I wonder if as a live commentary it isn’t better for those events where you can take your eyes off the action and concentrate on something else – or where indeed, your eyes aren’t actually on the action, like festivals and concerts. Think sport, think fixtures, fairs, conferences, plenary sessions where there are breaks.

But if you want us to concentrate on speakers, and if the ideas discussed are complex, then I would say, think twice before spooling live Twitter at events.