Yahoo!7 Answers Blog Australia

It’s hard to believe that yet another year is over and another is about to begin, where did the time go?

Whether we have a quiet one at home with friends and family, throw or attend a party, head out on the town or take the family to see the fireworks, we all tend to see the new year in, in some fashion.

• How will you celebrate the New Year?

From everyone on the Yahoo!7 Answers Team, all the best this evening and here’s to an amazing 2010!

Stay safe and enjoy what’s left of 2009

Kate
Community Manager

We’re extending the deadline for the Christmas Contest until 11am on Sunday!

The new deadline is 11am AEDST on Sunday, December 27th (4pm PST on Saturday, December 26th).

To find out more, check out the details here.

Good luck!

Kate
Community Manager

If you’re feeling festive this season, download the Yamster avatar and dress him up for Christmas! Feel free to add hats, clothing, or whatever you’d like – just be sure to keep it friendly, clean, and compliant with the Answers Community Guidelines.

Sites like Picnik (which is built directly into Yahoo’s own Flickr) offer a full arsenal of Christmas items like snow, decorations, and gingerbread. Be sure to check them out here.

Or, you can use something like Microsoft Paint, Photoshop, SumoPaint, or any other paint program on the market to edit or enhance an image.

Not a fan of the Yamster? That’s ok too! You’re welcome to dress up your own personal Avatar in their finest Christmas looks for the competition.

Once you’re through dressing up your Yamster or Avatar, save the image (right click and “save as”) and upload it to your Flickr account. Then, add the image to the Answers Christmas pool — found here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/yahoo7answerschristmas/.

Submissions must be received by 11am AEDST on Sunday, December 27th (4pm PST on Saturday, December 26th). Winner(s) will be posted on the Yahoo!7 Answers Blog and will receive 100 bonus points on Yahoo!7 Answers.

The Rules

• Avatars and/or Yamsters must be submitted to Flickr by 11am AEDST on Sunday, December 27th (4pm PST on Saturday, December 26th).
• All images must be in compliance with Yahoo!7’s TOS, Yahoo!7 Answers Community Guidelines, Flickr’s Community Guidelines, and, must not contain mature or adult content.
• Submitted images may only be that of Avatar or of the Yamster – no actual photographs will be accepted or considered.
• No real value is given to this prize: winner(s) will receive 100 bonus points on Yahoo!7 Answers.

Good luck everyone!

Kate
Community Manager

It’s that time of year again… when we’re all running around like headless chooks attempting to get our Christmas shopping done in time!

What to get for Dad? Would Mum prefer a book or some toiletries? Will Nana like the soap I got her? I don’t get on well with that cousin, so something cheap will do; but I like this cousin better, so I’ll get her a nice pot plant. Barbies for the nieces, toy cars for the nephews, concert tickets for my sisters, socks and undies for my brothers… the list and decisions are never-ending.

Partners, parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, grandparents, cousins, friends, neighbours, teachers, co-workers, even the postman… yes my Mum gives our postman a present, last year was a bottle of Jamaican whisky which he absolutely loved. With so many people in our lives, it’s very hard to decide who to get something for and what to get for them. How much should I spend? Do you get the same thing for everyone? Do you forgo all the retail hype and make something instead? Do you shop online or in person?

• What would be the best present you could give someone for Christmas and why?

If you’re like me, then you are probably procrastinating still about facing the hordes of shoppers. Christmas is only 9 days away, I guess I’d better get started!

Kate
Community Manager

Check out our Christmas greeting to you all!

Make your own snowman and send it to all your friends and relatives

You can share it on Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo!7 Mail, Yahoo!7 Messenger or copy the link and paste it wherever you please.

Kate
Community Manager

Back in October we announced that with your help, Yahoo! Answers hit the 1 billion question and answers mark. At this point, we also reached an astounding 179 million users around the world!

Just when we thought our community couldn’t grow any faster, a mere two months later, we’ve tackled the 200 million-worldwide visitor mark!

When you break it down, on average, that’s:

• 350,000 new  visitors a day
• 243 new visitors a minute

So here’s a big thanks to you, the Answers community for spreading the word about Answers, and sharing with your friends, family, and anyone you meet on the internet about what you’ve learned (and what you want to learn!) on Answers.

At this rate, we’ll hit 300 million in no time!

This year, Yahoo!7 Answers has gone through millions of questions and answers; from shark attacks and devastating bush fires to celebrities and Australian heroes passing away, from sporting triumphs and defeats to worldwide panic as swine flu took hold. It’s a time to look back at the year that was in the world of Yahoo!7 Answers and see the questions and answers that made the Australian psyche tick in 2009.

The Yahoo!7 Answers Team has put together a FREE eBook for you to download and share with your friends and family. It features the top questions and answers from 2009, as well as reviews and insights from staff, contributors and featured sponsors.

• Download it here!

This will prompt you to download a small PDF file.

We hope you enjoy it!

Kate
Community Manager