fognl

Get off my lawn.

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Yahoo Answers

Ever messed around with Yahoo Answers? Instead of just searching for text on the web, you can ask an actual question, and other people answer it. Kind of a neat idea, and not exactly unique.
Google had an Answers site, but mothballed it. There's a site called "cha cha" that features a Google-like search page, with an extra button: Search with Guide. Clicking that button goes beyond the realm of search engines and into the realm of human expertise.

Anyway, I got bored a little while ago, so I went out and messed around on Yahoo Answers. I think I see why Google mothballed their Answers site. Here's a sampling of some of the questions on Yahoo Answers (bearing in mind that the point of an "answers" site is so people can help you with questions you may have about various things):

  • Human Rights! What does it mean to you?
  • Could it be true?
  • What's the deal?
  • Help!
  • Why you be hatin?
  • Sometimes I'm happy sometimes I'm sad I'm a tomboy whazup?
Oh... I get it. I was thinking there would be questions like "What's the best way to sharpen a pencil" and other questions for which there are actual answers.

I may sign up as an "answer" guy and just give the answer "42" to all questions.