Twackle FAQ

What is Twackle?

There is so much sports content on the web these days, it becomes almost too hard to keep up. That’s where Twackle comes in! We find sports content that is shared socially online, and then display the most popular stuff right on Twackle.com. We’ve done all the heavy lifting. All you need to do is enjoy the party.

That sounds vague. What exactly does Twackle do?

Easy there, Mr. Specific. First, we look to see the sports content that is shared on Twitter. Then, we take all of those sports-related Twitter messages and display them on Twackle.com for you. Not only does Twackle display messages from fans, but also the official Twitter messages from sports leagues, teams, and players. It’s all there, updating in real time for you.

That it?

Not even close, and this is where things get even more interesting. Twackle determines the most popular sports links shared socially through Twitter and Twackle for the thousands of sports topics we cover. The more a story is shared, the higher its Share number on Twackle.

You wouldn’t share a sports story with your friends if you didn’t like the story, right? We didn’t think so, and that’s why Twackle believes the best way to determine if a sports story is worth a read is to look to see if all the sports fans out on the web are sharing that story with their fellow fans. Twackle is a huge human powered recommendation engine for sports.

When do I "flag" a Twackle link?

Twackle needs your help! If you see a link that is off-topic or just inappropriate, let us know by clicking on the "Flag" icon under the story. If other people in the Twackle community agree, we’ll remove it from our system.

What’s up with the Buzzing Feeds?

Throughout the day, different sports topics get "hot." The Twackle "Buzz Factor" tracks how hot a sports topic is on Twitter relative to the average number of tweets about that sports topic. The higher the Buzz Factor, the faster you should click over and see what everyone is talking about!

What are Trends?

Twackle Trends are the sports topics people are discussing on Twitter right now! If you are in the NBA section of Twackle, you’ll see the most popular NBA-related trends. Go to the Twackle homepage, and you get the most popular Twackle Trends from across our entire site.

What about sports content that is shared on MySpace or Facebook?

Good news, bad news here. The bad news is that right now, Twackle does not pull content directly from MySpace or Facebook. Good news, though, is that if you link your MySpace or Facebook updates to your Twitter profile, Twackle will be able to access that content. More good news, as Twackle grows, we hope to include additional sources for sports content.

The Twackle Links, Trends, and Buzzing Feeds are really cool. Can I share them with my friends?

Twackle wants to be your hub for the social sharing of sports content. For every link, trend, and buzzing feed you see, Twackle lets you easily share that content with your friends through Twitter, Facebook, or an email. So go ahead, share away.

Do I need to be on Twackle.com to see Twackle links and trends?

Too lazy to go to Twackle? We would love for you to stop by every day, but no, you don’t have to come to Twackle to get the Twackle links and trends. First, you can always embed links, trends, and Twitter messages as a customizable widget directly into your website or blog. Just click on the "Embed" buttons on Twackle.

Even easier, for our Twackle links, you can subscribe to one of our RSS feeds and receive the new links for that section as they come into the Twackle system. Or, follow that section on Twitter to receive the new top links as Twitter messages. For example, if you follow our Twitter account for the Twackle NFL section, you will get all new top NFL-related links through Twitter.

What about sports stories I find on other sites? How do I share that on Twackle?

First, you can always just send the link to the story through Twitter and include "#Twackle" in the message. That guarantees Twackle will pick up your tweet. Even easier, the Twackle sharing chicklet is now part of ShareThis (www.sharethis.com). If the site you are on uses ShareThis, just click on the Twackle logo in the ShareThis box, pick the Twackle section where you want to share the sports story, and you’re set. We’re constantly working to get the Twackle chicklet integrated into more websites, so stay tuned for updates.

Can I respond back to a Twitter message that I see on Twackle?

Be our guest. Next to every message, you’ll see a "Reply" and a "Retweet" icon. Click on them and we’ll shoot you over to Twitter, with the Reply or Retweet text pre-inserted into your tweet.

What if I’m not a Twitter member? Can I still respond to a message I see on Twackle?

Not yet, but maybe you should look in the mirror and ask why you’re not part of Twitter yet? All the cool kids are doing it. Go sign up. I mean right now, seriously. It’s embarrassing.

Can I post a message on Twackle from my Twitter page or mobile device?

What do you think this is, amateur hour? Of course you can. Just put "#Twackle" anywhere in your tweet and it will automatically show up in our "#Twackle" section. But, chances are, if you mention a team, league, or player in your Twitter message, we’ll pick it up anyway.

I don’t see tweets to and from some of my favorite athletes. What’s up with that Twackle?

Unfortunately, we can only show tweets to and from athletes that are actually using Twitter. But, if you know about an athlete using Twitter that is not listed on Twackle, drop us a line and let us know.

Um, I don’t want to call you out, but you said I could embed a Twackle widget into my blog, and it’s not working on Wordpress.

If you host your own Wordpress blog, you can download a plug-in that allows you to embed IFrame widgets onto your blog. These are general steps to install the IFrame plug-in:

Unzip the IFrame plug-in file
Copy the files to your ’/wp-content/plugins’ directory where your blog is hosted
Activate plug-in

Wordpress provides further instructions on how to install and manage plug-ins that you have downloaded if you are not sure how to copy the files over or how to activate the plug-in.

Unfortunately, Wordpress does not allow IFrames or plug-ins to be added to blogs hosted on Wordpress, so you may be out of luck until you start hosting your blog. But, if you have any ideas on how to embed IFrames on Wordpress.com blogs, shout it out to us.

What’s in store for the future?

I can’t say, but get ready for tons of awesomeness.