The
Internet is a rich resource of information on all things imaginable.
But while you can just key in a query on the Google search box, you are
not sure you would get the right information. This is especially true
if you are looking for answers to specific questions. And
because of search engine optimization, you’re not sure if the site at
the top of the result page is there because it’s genuinely helpful, or
if it’s simply there because it’s the best-optimized webpage.
Here are five resources that you can use to get answers to questions.
1. Mahalo Answers
Mahalo describes itself as a human-powered search engine with its content mostly user-submitted and edited by a handful of Mahalo’s editors. Similarly, Mahalo Answers
are made up of user-submitted questions with answers provided by other
members. Mahalo’s community members are encouraged to submit good
quality answers to questions because of the “Mahalo dollars” system. When you ask a question, you can offer a tip to other users who can provide the best answer, which is then chosen either by you or from votes from the community.
To
get an answer to your question, first try searching for existing
answers to the same or similar questions. Type in your question on the
searchbox, and check whether other people have asked—and answered—the
question. If you can’t find existing content, click the “Ask a Question”
link to submit your own question.
2. Yahoo! Answers
Yahoo! Answers
works much like Mahalo Answers described above. You can ask questions,
answer questions, and if you’re just in the mood for exploring what
other people are asking about, you can browse by topic or search.
When you ask or answer a question, you are required to login to your Yahoo! account.
An added option of Yahoo! Answers is that it can automatically notify
you if one of your contacts (from your Yahoo! Address Book) asks a
question. Yahoo! also uses a fan system, in which users can be fans of others, so they can follow the answers being posted. Yahoo! uses a point system—you
“spend” points for asking questions, and you “earn” points for
answering. Depending on how many points you have accumulated, you are
assigned a user level, which dictates how many answers or questions you
can post per day.
3. Answerbag
Answerbag
is another service similar to Mahalo Answers and Yahoo! Answers. The
interface is likewise similar—you can search for existing answers by
typing in keywords or a question, and if you don’t find what you need,
you can submit your own question. The nice thing about using the
Answerbag’s search functionality is that when it lists possible matches,
it also displays the best answer along with the question, which makes it easy to browse for the information you need.
Another difference with Answerbag is that it categorizes the question according to the type and difficulty.
These can be “social,” which are casual or conversational questions
that you would usually ask a friend or relative. These can be “expert,”
which can be educational questions that are best answered by
well-researched and well thought out responses. These can be “local,”
which are, as the name implies, specific to certain countries, regions
or cities. And these can be about “shopping,” which are questions about
business, commerce or products and services.
4. Twitter
Twitter
has been hailed as one of the most flexible platforms for exchanging
information online—in 140 characters or less. Originally conceived as a
microblogging or lifestreaming application, Twitter has expanded into
being somewhat a messaging platform where users can exchange public and private messages both with the rest of the Twitter community or within their own networks.
Aside from messaging, Twitter is also considered a rich ocean of data and information that can be mined. Featuring its own search engine,
users can look for discussions and “tweets” on just about any topic
imaginable. While you don’t usually run searches in the form of
questions, you can input keywords or hashtags (which are keywords that start with the hash like #football), which people use to attach keywords in their tweets.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for with a regular search, you can simply tweet your question,
and your message will be read by people who follow you. Assuming you
have a considerable following (anywhere from dozens to hundreds), a few
friends will most likely respond to your questions with useful replies.
The
power of Twitter is not only the number of people exchanging thoughts
and ideas, but in its ability to deliver realtime results for your
searches. The Web interface for search notifies you whenever there are
new posts that match your query. Power users use client-side software like
TweetDeck, which enables a user to run multiple columns, each with its
own keyword or #hashtag query. These applications will pull feeds from
twitter.com on a regular basis, so you are kept posted.
Another advantage of Twitter is that it can be used on different platforms.
Apart from the Web interface, Twitter can also be used on mobile
phones through phone-based applications (for the iPhone, Symbian or
Windows mobile) or SMS. You can get answers to your questions even
while on the move.
5. Forums
Lastly,
another good resource we can recommend for finding answers to
questions are forums. These types of websites have been popular even
before blogs, Wikipedia, Twitter and other websites existed. Forums are
mainly community-driven. Therefore, how useful a forum will be will depend on how active the community is.
Forums are also specific to a topic or niche.
For instance, if you want to get information about mobile phones, you
should join a forum that specializes in mobile phones. The same goes
for other topics. Remember that when you need to ask a question on a
forum, it’s always polite to use the search feature first, to see if
other people have asked the same question, and if these have been
adequately answered.
When you’re
looking online for answers to questions, sometimes it’s best to skip
the generic Google search and instead go for something more structured
No comments:
Post a Comment