Yahoo Answers Will Kick Google Answers in the Seat of the Pants
What's Yahoo Answers? Glad you asked.

Gary Price interviewed Ofer Shaked, Director of Engineering for Yahoo search and got this description from him:
"Yahoo Answers is built on the company's social search technology with a focus on answering day to day questions of a subjunctive [sic?] nature (Where can I buy..., What's a good show to see..., etc.) and organizing them into a more structured info base with the use of several features including categories."

Here's why Yahoo Answers is going to kick Google Answers' butt:

1) Yahoo's got a network of users, who identify as Yahoo users. The portal-ness of Yahoo gives Yahoo users a sense that they are a part of a community. Yahoo Answers will reemphasize this community sense.

2) Yahoo has a willingness to integrate and encourage user generated content in their results: Yahoo Local. This willingness to incorporate ugc shows me that Yahoo's really looking for ways to tap into the group intelligence (ala Wikipedia).

2.5) "At launch, Yahoo Answers will be promoted on Yahoo Web Results pages." (via gp)

3) "New answers to questions can be delivered via RSS." (via gp)

4) Yahoo Answers is free. This may prove to be a mixed blessing. I think Yahoo should create some kind of answer currency to reward folks with the info.

These are my gut responses - I haven't been following the "Answers" sector and I'd welcome your flames reasoned, educational and link-heavy rebuttals.

Read Gary Price for a fantastic Yahoo Answers review.

Also read Gary's other post today, Part 2: Other Q&A Services, Most Available For Free!

Yahoo! Adds Answers Site (the street)
Garrett French - MarketSmart Interactive | permalink | +marktd |