[rprasad]

It's a shame the patent office cannot/will not crowdsource patent research before approval.

The PTO approached SE and asked them to do this as part of their efforts to reform the patent system without waiting for Congress to get around to it.

I bet if an examiner posted each patent application during review, within 24 hours prior art would be posted for each one, most especially software patents.

They already do this; indeed, they are required to do so by law, and indeed, public posting of each patent application is a fundamental part of the patent process. Not many people actually bother to post prior art.