As you know, Twing.com is great for Community Search & Discovery. Searching across thousands of forums in thousands of categories, Twing can help you both find information and places to participate in great discussions.

But here’s the thing… Twing is an “alternative” search engine. People call us that because we’re an alternative to… well… to the Big 5. (Google, Yahoo, Live, Ask and AOL.) And that’s fine. They’ve all got good products. We like them. Even so, these may be great places to start a search, but people shouldn’t just end their search with these folks. There’s a bunch of alternative search engines out there. Some present results in new and unique ways, others focus on vertical content categories and so on. In fact, “alternative” may not even be the best way to describe us or others. We add other kinds of values beyond general web search. I suppose Extra Special search would be better. But until everyone starts picking up that phrase…

Our friends over at altsearchengines.com have come up with a little contest. In their big list of alternative search engines, they’re listing Twing!

If you really like Twing, (and who wouldn’t : ), then head over there and register so you can vote for us as a top alternative search choice.

All you have to do once you’re registered is find Twing in the list and “Pick” Us!

Thanks for helping to support Twing!

Scott

It’s the biggest day in football, without any actual football being played. War rooms. Draft-day trades. First-round busts. Late-round sleepers. For many, it’s a day of hope. A college standout poised to take an NFL team to the next level. Thousands of hours before and after the draft go into analyzing every single pick and grading each team on how well they drafted. Seriously, how many first-round picks have been simply awful? (Ring. Ring. Hello? Is this Ryan Leaf?)

And then you get late-round picks like Tom Brady (from Michigan) who will go on to the Hall of Fame. In a sense, it’s a bit like that part in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where Indy and that stupid Nazi have to correctly identify the Holy Grail. So the Nazi guy goes first, picks the wrong one, drinks from it and blows up. Over in the corner, the anciently preserved knight of the First Crusade says, “He chose poorly.”

And yet, armchair general managers across the country watch every pick, eager to applaud or condemn. As for me, I’m looking for Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long to go first. Who’s your first-round pick? Believe it or not, but there are a few people with opinions on the draft – just look at some of the nearly 400,000 posts regarding the NFL draft.

To get in on the big board, you may want to check out The NFL Forums. We suspect there’s an opinion or two out there on which you may want to comment. And of course, the draft is the ultimate precursor to fantasy football, so get your season started today!

The mercury is reaching into the 70s on both coasts and north of the 80s in the Southeast and Southwest. As the weather warms, the mood inside arenas nationwide is heating up as both the NBA and NHL roll into the playoffs. The boys of summer are back on the baseball diamond and parks far and wide are witnessing an increase in cyclists and runners, kids flying kites and families out for a picnic. Springtime is here, and it’s one of the best times of the year to enjoy sports, indoors and out.

After suffering through the season as a Knicks fan, this blogger is happy to see the regular season (and hopefully Isiah Thomas’ coaching career) come to an end. And even though the NBA playoffs go on for far too long, it’ll be nice to see some competitive basketball again. Does a team from the east have a chance or does the west already have it won? Fans are having their say – Twing currently is showing nearly 2,000 different topics regarding the NBA playoffs.

Springtime might not seem the right kind of weather for ice, but the NHL playoffs are underway and showcasing some of the hottest young talents to lace up a pair of skates. In the nation’s capital, 22-year-old phenom Alex Ovechkin leads Washington, while Pittsburgh features the formidable duo of 21-year-old Evgeni Malkin and 20-year-old Sidney Crosby. It looks like the NHL playoffs are also heating up the Internet as Twing found more than 6,000 posts about the 2008 NHL playoffs.

And then there’s baseball. Let’s start the season by invoking New York’s own Walt Whitman:

I see great things in baseball, it’s our game – the American game. It will take our people out-of-doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism, tend to relieve us from being a nervous, dyspeptic set, repair those losses and be a blessing to us.

I know part of that quote was used in “Bull Durham” (which is arguably one of the best-ever baseball movies), but after Cleveland dismissed the Yankees in the first round of last year’s playoffs, I started counting the days until pitchers and catchers reported. Now, with round one of the Yankees vs. Red Sox wrapped up, you’d be hard-pressed to tell those in online communities that it’s only April. Already, there are nearly 11,000 posts on the subject of “Yankees vs. Red Sox.” While some are concerned with the games on the field, others get more fired up over their fantasy league teams. Whether you need help deciding who to keep on the roster or just want to brag about your team’s early-season performance, Twing can help you find lots of topics dedicated to fantasy baseball.

Still, the best thing about the spring is that the weather gives a chance for the athlete in all of us to take center stage. So, what’s your game? Here are links to forums where you can ask questions, get answers, find teams/leagues to join, etc. – whatever it takes, just get out and play!

● Tennis ● Soccer ● Golf

● Cycling ● Running ● Fishing

● Boating ● Softball ● Basketball

Not many of us ever get to tee it up with Tiger, but that doesn’t stop us from tuning into the Masters golf tournament (April 10 – 13) to watch the man formerly known as Eldrick go for his fifth green jacket. So who’s your favorite to master golf’s first major of the season, Tiger or the field? Share your opinions and see what others have to say in forums about Tiger Woods and the Masters in Augusta, Ga.

Think you can hit it long? Get out your clubs and head to the range to swing off the winter rust or just get out to the course, tee it high and let it fly. Just remember, you drive for show and putt for dough. Get in on the latest golf discussion by finding forums on golf.

Of course, golf is a four-letter word, which means it can be frustrating; but don’t throw your clubs. Instead, consider throwing Frisbees, or golf discs, to be exact. Disc golf – the game George Costanza once referred to as “frolf” – takes the best aspects of golf (sun, fun, exercise) and makes it available (usually for free!) to anyone who can toss a disc in the air. If you want to know more, Twing currently has nearly 150 different topics dedicated to disc golf.