Yahoo!7 Answers Australia

The end of each year is an awesome time for reflection. As you while away your summer break on the beach or by the pool, you have plenty of time to think about the things you want to change in your life and what makes you most satisfied. That’s probably the reason why January is seasonally the month when people start looking for a new job, when quit smoking campaigns kick into overdrive and why people start thinking about diets and exercise routines.

People have been making (and probably breaking) New Year’s Resolutions for quite some time.  According to Allora, it takes back to 153 BC.

“Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar.

“With two faces, Janus could look back on past events and forward to the future. Janus became the ancient symbol for resolutions and many Romans looked for forgiveness from their enemies and also exchanged gifts before the beginning of each year.” More

Losing weight is one of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions, but as rustabout mentions, it’s probably one of the most given up on also. For those of you who are hoping to shed some kilos post January 1st, what are some ways to ensure this is the year that you’ll fit back into those skinny jeans?

mrs. awesome asked for some sensible advice to changing her lifestyle. Jorginho had lots of tips:

- Cut down in those guilty pleasures, you know, that chocolate that is always good after a fight or that sweet dessert that it makes the moment just right
- Also cooking at home is better than out food since you can control the amount of fat and other stuff that goes on it that will ruin your balanced diet. I’m not saying never eat out… but be smart about it
- Oh and remember… eat till you’re pleased…. not till you’re ready to burst!!! That way you prevent your belly skin from stretching!!!! More

Maiv8 says:

Drink lots of water every single day. 8 or more cups. It works wonders! I put two of my friends on it, they both lost a lot of weight. I cannot stress enough the importance of eating breakfast. Also, this may sound hard to do, but do not eat any chips, chocolates, or junk food at all. Don’t drink pop or juices that are not 100% juice. (NOT from concentrate). More

New Year’s Resolutions could be about anything, of course. In previous years, Imisdro wanted to know everyone’s Business New Year Resolution, whereas A Z was more interested in everyone’s environmentally friendly New Year’s Resolution and iRockyOhyeah wanted to know how you could improve things in the home.

Yahoo!7′s resident dating expert Brooke Hemphill wants to know your dating resolution for the New Year and to celebrate the new Jim Carrey movie Yes Man, we’re asking you what you’re going to say YES to in the New Year?

Happy New Year!

Caitlin
Community Manager

If yours is anything like my family, Christmas is pretty much the same year in year out. Up early for tea and to see what’s in our stockings; the extended family arrives late morning and we all celebrate with brunch and champagne. Then into the kitchen for cooking and a sprinkling of petty family disputes over how the turkey dried out (again) and who forgot to add pumpkin to the baking tray. All arguments are forgotten when we sit down to a delicious lunch, charge our glasses and don our daggy Christmas hats. It’s a much loved tradition that is relished by all.

Once in a while this routine changes and some of us spend Christmas in a completely unique way. We asked the Answers community for the most unusual Christmas they’ve ever had…

Christmas Day, 1979, in what was then the Rhodesian bush, linking up with heavily armed `freedom fighters’ so they could move to staging camps prior to the country’s first `free and fair’ elections. The entire Christmas-New Year period was a strange mix of parties, peacekeeping, investigations, sightseeing, mine clearing and winning the confidence and trust of black and white Zimbabweans. Maybe the highlight was organising the repatriation of thousands of refugees from Botswana, Mozambique and Angola so they could return and take part in the rebuilding of their nation. I didn’t miss the Christmas pudding at home with the family, thousands of miles away; neither did my colleagues from 11 different countries. We all felt the job was too important. Pity it turned out the way it did.

– UbiqueMIB

Christmas Day Darwin 1974… Huddled in a bathroom with my 6 brothers and sisters, Mum and Dad and some neighbours while our house disintegrated around us in 250km/h winds. We didn’t get our Christmas presents that year….

- Sean K

Years ago – I had just moved to Adaminaby – small town in the Snowy Mountains – It was Xmas Eve, about 5pm. Suddenly I heard singing, we all went out the front door, and there was a small truck with the town’s business people in the back, singing Xmas carols. Then, out of the blue, it started to snow. What is amazing, is that it never snows in December in Australia (it’s summer), and I have never witnessed people in Australia driving around singing carols, as they do in other parts of the world. It was something special that I will always cherish.

– brubru

At a Christmas lunch up in the hills with family, my uncle came out and summoned us all in to the living room. There was a large adult Koala sitting there and wouldn’t move when we tried to shoo him out.

– shai m

First year I was married, we hiked the Grand Canyon on Christmas day, just the 2 of us. We saw reindeer in the canyon and a lot of wildlife. The lodge served a Christmas feast. It was quiet, romantic, and a great experience.

– cricket

Caitlin
Community Manager

Hey everyone,

2008 has been a fantastic year on Answers and we, the Answers team, are very impressed by the vast amounts of knowledge, hidden know-how and out-of-the ordinary experiences you all have shared.

To thank you for your great contributions and for participating in making Answers what it is today – one of the best places to ask and answer questions on the web – we wanted to give you a little something.

We’ve compiled the very first Yahoo!7 Answers Guide to Everything. Get it here:

In it, you’ll find some of the best questions and answers we’ve seen on the site in 2008. We’ve also included the highlights of the year, from Featured Users to awards Answers has won.

We hope you enjoy it and want to wish you a very Merry green Christmas on Answers and a Happy New Year from the whole Yahoo!7 Answers team.

We have some planned maintenance scheduled on Thursday 18th December from 8pm until 10pm AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time). We anticipate the work will take approximately two hours, and Answers will be unavailable during that time. If there is any change to the schedule, we will inform you here with updates

If you’re looking for something to do during the downtime, why not check out some of these pages:

• Plan your summer break
• Do some last minute Christmas shopping
• Get some Christmas recipes

We appreciate your patience while we complete this vital maintenance.

Caitlin
Community Manager

Australia is a pretty diverse nation, and while Christmas is the dominant celebration for this time of year, many of us are are celebrating a different kind of festivity. Answers user Jelly123 was curious about these celebrations and got some very interesting responses!

What do other religions celebrate instead of Christmas?

Muslims have two main festive occasions. One is called Eid ul Adha, which this year fall on the 8th December. This particular festive occasion honours Abraham’s willingness to submit to the Will of God. The other called Eid ul Fitr, which marks the end of the month of Ramadan (The Fasting Month). I usually put up fairy lights in the house for the 3 days. Other friends of mine, get their kids to decorate their houses with lanterns, balloons, streamers and even tinsel! My kids find presents on the couch in the morning, but they can’t open them until after the 7am-8am Eid prayer at the mosque. Many families cook special desserts/biscuits that signify Eid. Last year my Eid biscuits were gingerbread men & women, this year it was jam drops. I’m still experimenting with different desserts, looking for that perfect Australian Eid dish. The Pavlova is already reserved for birthdays, so I’m still looking. On Eid night, we come home at night feeling bloated and on a massive sugar high from all the desserts. The kids count the money they’ve been given by relo’s and play with their pressies. Take away the tree, Santa, the roast ham & the alcohol laden pudding and it’s exactly the same as Xmas.

- Mon

I’m a Hindu living in Australia. We just put some decorations so we don’t look different from the house next door, which blinds people every time we go outside. We also buy each other gifts because everyone likes them and because every time we go into a shop, the sign “BUY A GIFT FOR A LOVED ONE” is standing in your face and shop attendants kep badgering you.

- Chris S

I’m a non-practicing Hindu Sydneysider and Hinduism’s most auspicious festival’s Diwali – the festival of lights. Mythologically, it marks the arrival of Lord Rama back into the town of Ayodhya (which yes, is really a town in the East-South Eastern region of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh) after 14 years of exile and of course the defeat of Lankan King Ravana (who’d kidnapped Rama’s wife Sita). Diwali, like most major religious events are based on the lunar calendar (it always falls on a new moon) and falls usually between late October – mid November.

Sikhism‘s major event is ‘Guru Nanak Jayanti’ (Anniversary of the first ‘Guru’ or preacher of Sikhism, Nanak) who branched out of Hinduism to preach the relatively new faith, Sikhism, somewhere in the late 15th century. Sikhism’s faith is revolved around the teachings of 10 major ‘Gurus’ – the first being ‘Guru Nanak‘ and the last being ‘Guru Gobind’.

- Silverwater006

For Nichiren Buddhists who chant Nam myoho renge kyo, (which include people you would know such as Tina Turner, Orlando Bloom, Miranda Kerr, Herby Hancock, Patrick Duffy, Annie Lennox and the list goes on) – the main day to celebrate is New Year’s Day, marking the beginning of a new round of opportunities for turning poisons into medicine and contributing towards world peace -Kosen Rufu.

- C

This time of the year for Jews is the festival of Channukah/Hannukah (different variations of spelling) and we light the channukah candles each night for seven days representing the oil in the channukah story. We receive presents each day (8 days) however the meaning of channukah isn’t about present giving, it’s just become bigger and more commercialised in countries where Christianity is the majority. I usually get a small present each day. For instance a fifteen year old girl might receive something like this: 1st day – costume jewellery + channukah gelt, 2nd day – a pair of shoes, 3rd day – hello kitty stationary, 4th day – box of chocolates, 5th day – make up, 6th day – twilight book, 7th day – juno dvd, 8th day – Britney Spears CD.

- wikiUSMdawg

Regardless of religion, race or creed, we hope you have a wonderful festive season!

Caitlin
Community Manager

What will you be doing to keep the costs down this Christmas?
Andrew Page – Yahoo!7 Finance Columnist

Christmas is always an expensive time of year. You’ve got presents to buy, hungry mouths to feed on Christmas Day and summer holidays to pay for. This year with the credit crunch, though, it’s particularly difficult for many.

One of Yahoo!7’s Finance Columnists Andrew Page has reached out to the Answers community asking how you’re going to celebrate the festive season without blowing the budget? Some of you had some excellent ideas!

For Christmas decorations, Megan B recommends:

Our old tree decorations were getting old and broken so for this year my mum and I bought some ribbon and tied bows on the tree. Looks stunning!

As for presents there are some great ideas from Jessy Pea and Innes:

I’m making up xmas hampers for all my friends and family. It costs less, is still loads of fun and I think adds a bit of personality to your gifts! After all it’s the thought that counts!

Online shopping so to ensure I get only what I need – instead of getting bombarded and tempted with the hype in store! Sending e-cards instead of paper cards where I can

For Kylie P, however, has good ideas for saving money for Christmas next year:

I start shopping early in the year and continue shopping throughout the year. By the time December comes, my budget stays in check and I have only about 25% of my shopping to do, which is usually clothes etc, Items that need to be purchased late in the year. Also buy your Christmas wrapping, cards etc, for next year, after Christmas this year. You can pick up great bargains.

As for the big Christmas meal, Rubydazzle7 isn’t sparing any expense:

The main thing about Christmas is the family get-together enjoying a meal. That’s what I’ll be spending on a good dinner or lunch for all my family on christmas. Everyone has agreed no gifts this year only a good time together. Kids will prob get some lollies.

and Min thinks preparation is the key:

The more you can prepare food wise yourself the better. I arrange all my cold food platters, which others in the family buy – I end up with a turkey platter full of cold meats/chickens compared to what some have paid for say a ‘large pizza size’ platter. Make my own pavlovas, christmas pudding & brandy sauce.

For more great money saving ideas or to add your own ideas, check out Andrew’s question here.

Also check out some questions from other Yahoo!7 Teams.

Yahoo!7 Dating – Where is a good place to meet someone during the holiday season?

Yahoo!7 Shopping – What are your best tips for Christmas shopping online?

Sunrise – What is your top Christmas etiquette dilemma and why?

Caitlin
Community Manager

Recently some of the community asked us to clarify what images and avatars are acceptable on Answers. Avatars and images are a great way to personalise your Answers profile, they add a creative touch and can express to everyone who you are and what you’re interested in answering. But as some users have expressed confusion, we wanted to respond to everyone on what’s OK and not OK.

How do I choose an image or avatar for my profile?
To choose an image or avatar for my profile, take the following steps.

1.    Go to Answers
2.    Click on My Profile
3.    Sign into your Answers account with your Yahoo! ID and Password
4.    Click Edit My Info and go to the subheading Picture

In the Picture section you will see the default, which is No Picture, that gives you a grey avatar. If you wish to use one of the Yahoo!7 Avatars, click “Edit my Yahoo! avatar” link, choose from one of the Yahoo!7 avatars and the select the Use my Yahoo!7 Avatar button on your Answers Profile.

If you want to use an image on your Answers profile, you can upload one to your Yahoo!7 360 profile and then click the “Use my Yahoo!7 360 picture”. This then brings up the issue of what is an acceptable image on Answers.

What is an acceptable image on my Answers Profile?
Answers is a broad and diverse community, full of passionate askers and answerers and we’re keen to ensure the images you use to personalise your profile reflect this. It is, however, important to remember that Answers Profile Images are subject to the Community Guidelines and Terms of Service and many of the clauses in each of these apply just as much to images as to questions or answers. Members who have violated the Community Guidelines are at risk for review and possible termination of their Answers accounts. In extreme cases, members risk losing their Yahoo! ID, and consequently, access to all other Yahoo!7 services.

Being mean or obscene
Because kids as young as 13 may participate in Yahoo!7 Answers, sexually explicit and vulgar language and images are not welcome on the site.

Several of you have been asking for clarification on what constitutes a sexually explicit image and we understand the same image can generate differences of opinions in the community. However from a Yahoo!7 Answers standpoint you may not use an avatar that depicts nudity or sexual acts. Specifying what constitutes an adult image can be tricky, but as a rule of thumb, if it’s a photo of something you would acceptably see on a family public swimming pool, it’s OK. Beyond that, it’s not OK. This includes depictions of people, computer-generated images and cartoons.

Violating the law
Members of Yahoo!7 Answers are not above the law, so don’t post anything that violates the laws of your country, state, territory or city. Don’t try to trick people into sharing their personal information, steal anything (like copyright or trademark material), or break into places you shouldn’t be. Don’t threaten, harass, impersonate, or hurt others, and don’t invade other people’s privacy.

The Violating the Law section of the Community Guidelines also applies to Profile images. Needless to say any image that breaks the law is unacceptable on Answers, in whatever form it takes. Using images to “threaten, harass, impersonate, or hurt others, and don’t invade other people’s privacy” is also unacceptable. Images that make gestures to insult other members of community, incite hate speech or attempt to disrupt the functions of the site are also unacceptable.

What is the future of Answers Profile Images?
Currently, if you wish to have your own image rather than a Yahoo!7 Avatar on your Answers Profile, you need to add an image to your Yahoo!7 360 Profile and then select “Use my Yahoo!7 360 picture”. But early next year Answers will be transitioning to use the new Yahoo!7 Profiles platform instead of 360. Between now and then we would strongly recommend you sign up for a Yahoo!7 Profile before we make this transition.

Profiles is all about you – your connections, your updates, your privacy settings, your life. Yahoo!7 Profiles will help you better connect with the people that matter to you in the easiest way possible, whether it’s sharing your recent updates or connecting with people from your address book. Learn more about Profiles here. The Profiles platform also brings the additional benefits to Answers of being able to report an image itself, rather than the question or answer that it accompanies.

Sometimes I think the lead up to Christmas is almost as good as the actual day. The weather’s warm and sunny, there are plenty of parties and celebrations to go to, the streets and shops are filled with pretty decorations and everyone is in a good mood as they prepare for their summer break.

I love the ritual of setting up the Christmas tree. Digging out those boxes from up the attic or the back of the garage then opening them up and remembering all the good times from Christmases past. I love looking at those tacky cardboard decorations you made in year 3 that Mum refuses to throw out (anyone else got a Christmas candle made from a toilet roll?) and the gorgeous angel that sits at the pinnacle of the tree every year, gazing at the festivities below. For many, putting the tree up is a great family tradition that symbolises the start of the festive season. For others, the warm glow from the tree makes them feel so good that they want to know how to recreate that ambiance all year round.

While the Christmas tree is seeped in tradition for many families, where were its original origins? There are many interpretations, but according to FairyF:

Many ancient cultures revered evergreen trees, which stayed green in the winter while other trees were bare. The evergreens served as a reminder that winter would pass, and the land would once again be fruitful.
The German Saxons may have been the first to light their trees with candles, and to adorn them with decorations-trinkets of good fortune. The tradition of the indoor evergreen was so strong in Germany, it’s believed that the first use of Christmas trees by Christians developed there, with some experts placing its origin as far back as the eighth century. More

The other great thing about early December is all the parties. What with office parties, street parties, carols by candlelight and other social engagements, your month is filled with revelry (and the occasional hangover). For those who are planning the local church or office parties, it’s probably not quite so joyous; although there’s always Answers to go to if you’ve run out of ideas!

Frida had that exact dilemma last month and asked how she could plan a great office Christmas party. Santa I’ll be good next year came to the rescue, recommending a party with a theme:

Christmas parties don’t have to stick to holiday-type themes. Getting a little creative with different themes can make for a great night. There are a number of great party themes that will set a fun and festive party mood without the old worn out red and green décor. Some super theme ideas are: Rio Carnival , Las Vegas Casino, Futuristic Fantasy, 20s Speakeasy, Murder Mystery, 60’s, 70’s or 80’s, Scavenger Hunt, Indoor Sports. More

Of course, with a theme comes the quandary of what to wear!

As for us, we’re wondering about your Christmas parties. What is the most memorable Christmas party you’ve ever been to?

Caitlin
Community Manager

Recently we blogged about the wonder of Answers, and different people from the global Answers team had their say on what makes the site so great to them. In part two we continue with input from Answers team members in Australia, France, UK and more…

Caitlin Yahoo!7 Australia Answers team on having the bottle to ask…

Answers is useful for those questions that everyone ponders but no one seems to know the answer to. I’ve found out things as diverse as why wine bottles have different shapes, what the name of that Italian quiz show I really like is and why car manufacturers swap their badges.

Although the questions all had me stumped, to other people they were easy and they responded with brilliant answers in a matter of minutes. This leads to why I like answering questions. I love the give and take – I know nothing about cars but I’m really good at giving relationship advice and I know all the tricks to travelling on a budget. Answers reminds me that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. We all have our own unique knowledge and Answers is the vessel that helps us share these resources.

Marilyn Yahoo! Answers USA on sharing her musical knowledge…

Answers rocks because not only can you get answers but you can actually give answers. I think of myself as a person with great knowledge in a particular show or ‘name that tune.’ So I am constantly trying to share what I know with other users. It’s a great feeling and you can’t find anything else like it on the internet.

Douglas Yahoo! Answers France team on the simplicity of one site…

Since Answers’ launch, I am amazed by the manner in which it has reversed the way we look for knowledge. Before Answers, we had to go around the web, look for pieces of info and put it all together in the right order to make it understandable. Since then, Answers has filled a gap on the web with a place where knowledge reaches you from people willing to share and structure it for you. This represents the true power of human-web collaboration for me.

Frank Yahoo! Answers Global Product Manager on web search tricks…

Loads of people struggle to find what they are looking for through web search or on online encyclopaedias, be it because they are not that experienced with using web search or just due to having specific needs.

Recently I struggled to find answers to specific questions around the UK tax system and although you will find a wealth of information through web search it’s very hard to be sure that you interpret the information in a way to know you have found the right answer to your specific case. Answers helped me achieve this.

Juliette Yahoo! Answers Product Operations on the future of search…

I’ve always been quietly curious about what other people search for. But not only can searching become painful and very lengthy when you’re after one specific piece of information, but you can also get so easily distracted from your initial query. The former has to do with the technicalities of keywords and web crawling, the latter relates to the depth of information you can find online: limitless.

Answers is the answer to this vicious circle: the information is easily retrievable and well structured to enable anyone, not only techy people, to find it. And it’s handy: you’ve got everything you need in one place, from finance to food, photography to physics. For me, Answers has the potential to become the next generation of search engines. And who knows, one day people might say “just Answers-it on the internet” instead of, well, you know what…

This is the second in a two-part series of blog posts on our thought on Answers. Read the first post here. But the site would be nothing without you, the Answers community. Why not have your say about what you enjoy most on Answers by leaving a comment below. We’re all ears!

Here at Yahoo!7, you and your safety online are our top priorities.

That’s why we are working hard to protect you and give you tips on how to navigate in a secure way that you can apply not only at Yahoo!7, but on every corner of the Internet.

We are sure that you have come across our Privacy Policy link. If not, the link appears on the bottom of each page you visit on Yahoo!7. Here you can find information regarding what we do to actively protect your privacy while you’re with us.

All the teams at Yahoo!7 strive towards improving your safety. The Mail Team for example is constantly striving to protect you from spammers and other scams, as well as assuring that you only receive the mails you really want. They provide you with improved methods to classify the mails to make it easier to find what you are looking for in your inbox. Check out more here

Here at Answers, we provide you with different means to choose the personal information you want to display and how others can contact you.

Here’s a quick overview of what we offer:

• Choose your avatar, image or display no image at all
• Create your own network of friends. You can add or delete friends at will, as well as blocking any user.
• Make your questions and answers private if you don’t want other users to see them.
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If you have any doubt regarding safety on the Internet, please let us know and we’ll try to help you!