No website or blog can possibly succeed without the support and visits of people like you. I try to respond to every comment made on this site, but one area where I need to make an improvement is by recognizing the top droppers from Entrecard.

As you can see, there is a widget on the side panel for an ad featuring some other blog. These ads change on a daily basis and many of these advertisers also stop here regularly to drop their own cards.

For Entrecard users, you know what I am talking about. For others, I am speaking Greek. No matter, if you are interested in learning how Entrecard can benefit you and your community as well as connect you with like-minded folks, then I urge you to join.

I appreciate visits from each of my readers, but today I want to recognize my top droppers for the month of December 2009:

Please click on these links to visit their sites and, if you are an Entrecard user, feel free to drop your card and/or advertise with them today.

Yes, a relevant comment on these blogs would certainly make for a nice gesture too!

Popularity: 6% [?]

WordJourney Magazine is active on Twitter, in fact Matt Keegan operates three accounts on this popular social media microblogging site. Matt’s other accounts deal with his writing and automotive industry work, while his Twitter WordJourney account reflects what he writes here on there.

Importantly, Matt enjoys retweeting what others have to say especially if he can help out a ministry, someone in need, sharing an encouraging word.

So, why use Twitter? For a number of reasons including:

Connect with other believers. Yes, our face to face time with fellow Christians is still important. In fact, we should be gathering together regularly as outlined in Hebrews 10:25 “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Your local body needs you and you need them. Still, it is certainly nice when like minded people tweet together too!

Share the gospel. For the most part, Matt connects with other believers. However, a number of people are not so selective, seeking to interact with those Twitter users who aren’t following the Lord. A well timed tweet, a sensitive word could minister to one of Jesus’ wayward sheep.

Inform others. This is the single, biggest reason why WordJourney has a presence on Twitter: to inform other Christians as to what is going on out there. Matt has been concentrating on letting believers know what is going on with the persecuted church, sharing ministry news, forwarding prayer requests, and more. Sometimes this world can be a lonely place, especially for those who are isolated, often not at their own choosing – “Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” (Hebrews 13:3)

Have fun. In this entertainment crazy world, a little tweeting can go a long way. Seek the Lord on how best to use Twitter for his glory as well as your personal enjoyment. Like any, Twitter can become a time waster, but it can also be used to advance God’s kingdom. Ask the Lord to guide you.

As always, WordJourney thanks you for stopping by. Feel free to leave a comment, ask a question or share a tweet.

Adv. – You can help Operation Christmas Child make a difference in the life of a young child. Pack a shoe box filled with goodies and Samaritan’s Purse will see to it that a youngster is reached in the name of Jesus Christ thanks to your faithfulness! Don’t wait, the 2009 campaign is under way from November 16-23.

Popularity: 5% [?]

A Twitter based search engine worth using!

Twitter has emerged as one of the most powerful social media tools available. Founded in 2006, this micro-blogging site has revolutionized the way people interact online, through 140 character snippets where they can share a message, promote a product, proclaim news, etc. WordJourney is one of three Twitter accounts I manage, allowing me to connect with like-minded people as we advance the Good News.

Twitter Is Useful & Faulty

But Twitter is just as faulty as it is useful. Its plain interface has seen some improvements of late, but it is the supplemental “Twitter tools” developed by third parties which truly extends its usefulness. Had these tools not been developed, Twitter probably would have died shortly after its launch.

I wrote about Twitter Search on my Matt’s Musings blog back in January, singing its praises as a wonderful way to search for tweets apart from the nasty Twitter interface. I’ve used it several times, but it hasn’t been my favorite way to perform a Twitter search. Instead, I have been spending plenty of time over at Topsy.com which describes itself as a search engine powered by tweets. Yes, if you are a Twitter user, then Topsy just may be the site for you.

The Topsy Approach To Search

Topsy takes a different approach to web search unlike Yahoo Search, Google, Bing and similar sites. Instead of searching for specific files or documents, Topsy categorizes conversations, using Twitter as its focal point.

For example, if you were to type in the words “Christmas carols” you would find portions of conversations about that topic. The results delivered by Topsy are those things Twitter folks link to, when they’re speaking about your search terms. As Topsy says, the search engine “…ranks results based on how well they match your search terms, and the influence of the people talking about them.”

Topsy’s results are in real time as they are based on current conversations. In addition, you can find out what was talked about over the past week or month, extending back to when the service was first launched this past May. What’s more, every Twitter user has a Topsy page where all of your Tweets can be seen together.

First Seen Through Trackbacks

I first noticed Topsy about a month ago when my blog trackbacks included record of tweets people had been making about this article or that one. I decided to save each trackback in order to gauge just how well Topsy worked. Definitely, Topsy has been sending a trickle of traffic my way while giving me an accurate indication of the number of people who retweeted my articles.

Topsy does rank people by influence, meaning the more you retweet, the less influence that you have. But, when people retweet you, you gain some influence. Check out your particular articles and you’ll see that at least one person who tweeted was probably an “influencer” — a Twitter user that Topsy holds in high regard.

You’ve probably found me on Twitter through wordjourney or perhaps via theautowriter or mattkeegan. Regardless, I’m actively tweeting this or that offering a good share of retweets too as I relay news about the persecuted church or some other sort of Christian endeavor. Topsy is a useful tool because it pulls everything together for me, offering accurate search results listing Twitter conversations.

Popularity: 15% [?]