Yahoo!7 Answers Blog Australia

As we mentioned earlier this week, recently the Yahoo!7 Answers team got the opportunity to meet Robert Knepper, the villainous T-Bag in Prison Break. He was in Australia promoting season 4 of Prison Break which includes all 22 episodes of the final series as well as a unseen footage and the final 2 hour movie length special that concludes the story.

While Robert wanted to ask the community a question (answer his question: Who is your favourite TV or film villain of all time and what makes him or her fearful?), we also asked him some questions on your behalf. You might remember a few weeks ago we asked you what you would like to ask Robert Knepper. We chose some of the best questions and have it all on video!

Ever wanted to know what it was like filming Prison Break or what the funniest thing that happened on set was? Or perhaps you’re more interested how Robert became an actor and what advice he has for young children with stars in their eyes. Perhaps you’d like to know how people react to his scary character when he goes out in public?

The question that I particularly wanted to know is what it was like wearing the fake hand? Was it uncomfortable or did it become like a glove that he could forget he was wearing. Here is Robert’s particularly amusing answer:

So to see all the answers to his questions, check out our official video page. Don’t know about you but hearing all about the behind the scenes info of Prison Break makes me even more excited about watching that last episode! How do you think it will end?

Caitlin
Community Manager

One of the things I love about Answers is the fact that you never know where you might be getting advice from. It could be your neighbour, it could be an Oxford university professor, it could be a retiree from Nebraska. It’s exciting that so many people in the world have weird and wonderful expertises.

However there is a type of Answers user that you know exactly who they are. They’re a part or our Knowledge Partner program. You may have noticed them  – they’re the users with the little pink badges next to their name. Knowledge Partners are organisations that have expertise in a certain area and want to share their knowledge. We wanted to feature one of our Knowledge Partners – Ph.Art Gallery.

Ph.Art Gallery have been pretty active in the Photography sub category in the last few months. They’ve already got a Best Answer rating of 59% and almost every day they’re in the category answering questions about all sorts of photographic conundrums.

So who are these guys? In their own words…

Ph.Art Gallery, (www.photoartgallery.com) is the ultimate photographic destination it’s where you can Create your own Gallery, to store, print and share your photos with family, friends or the entire world.  If you have ever wondered… “Great Shot, Now What?” . . .  Well why not show off those photos and unlock the artist within. Get those great photos off the hard drive to a place where they’ll be recognised, admired and where you can even earn some money by selling your photographic art around the world. It’s also a place where you can appreciate, create and buy amazing photographic wall art for your very own.

Do you have to be a professional photographer to show your work on the website?

Absolutely not we have created gallery spaces that accommodate all levels of photographer so don’t be shy. It does not matter if it’s your full time career or merely a hobby, if you think it’s a great image then submit it to a gallery and see how you go…

We hope there is a place here for anyone who is passionate and loves photography!

How much is it to buy photos?

At this point we only allow the sale of a photo as a wall print of some sort there is no digital delivery of images and the minimum cost is $50 plus the print costs. Over time we will consider digital delivery, similar to a stock library but this decision will be based around the quantity of images we get in the coming months.

So how are your photography skills? Need to learn techniques like how to shoot lightning or how to highlight one colour in your photo and have black and white everywhere else? Or perhaps you’re more interested in learning about editing techniques like how to lighten and darken photos or need to find a good place to edit pictures? Maybe you’re more interested in buying good photography and need to know where to look? Visit the photography section and ask a question then email Ph.art Gallery to let them know!

Caitlin
Community Manager

I first got into Yahoo!7 Answers by accident.  A friend used it & she said it was really good – one day curiosity got the better of me, and I’m still here.
– Spellbound: Level 7, 66% Best Answer, 31,011 points and counting!

Every so often, we profile some of the amazing answerers we see on the site like relationships expert Love Guru, sports devotee Trusylver and economics advisor Victor. Today is no exception. Meet Spellbound: our resident history expert. Russia is his real passion but he is able to answer on many subjects. Don’t just take our word for it, here are some of his Best Answers…

• Did Joseph Stalin command the army during the Second World War?
• Why did the Art capitol move from Paris post-War?
• What was the significance of the Soviet satellite nations?

Spellbound in his own words…

I’ve always enjoyed history, probably that comes from being taken round castles in North Wales as a child, but I also think that the past is alive, because the consequences of actions taken hundreds of years ago can have a direct impact on our lives – Magna Carta being an obvious example.

Spellbound is educated as a Russologist specialising in the late Soviet period. He finds the USSR fascinating, saying, ‘as Churchill said of it: ‘Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma’.”

His favourite question is: Why did Germany surrender in 1918?

The reason I like this question is that it is a clear question, the questioner sounds as though they are interested in the topic – it’s not just for homework help, and the although the question may be a simple one, to answer the question well requires a detailed, well thought out answer.

If I had a history teacher like Spellbound during high school, I may have paid more attention!

Caitlin
Community Manager

Know someone who’s “wow-ed” you on Answers? Think somebody deserves to be celebrated as next Featured User on the Answers Blog? We want to hear from you!

Email the Answers team a link to the user’s profile or answers to y_answrs_team_au@yahoo.com.au

“I won’t send a picture of myself since Answers is meant to be confidential but here is a picture of my great-grandfather taken in about 1908 because people say I look more like him every passing year.  He was then about the same age I am now.”

Every so often we come across an Answers user so wonderful we have to share them with you all as a Featured User. Given this, meet Victor: author and expert contributor with nearly 70% Best Answer percentage who’s been with us since spring ‘06. Why did he join? He saw someone write that recession and inflation were the same thing. And when someone else answered that the French Revolution came before American Independence, well, he had to step in. Answers has been the better for it ever since.

Some great Answers by Victor:

* How did Napoleon’s downfall lead to his death?
* How long is it going to take for the economy to completely fail?
* What does the expression ‘economies of scale’ pertain to?
* Was the enlightenment period a positive or negative influence on Europe?
* In Physics why does equation E = MC2 use the square function?

Get more Best Answers from Victor…

Meet Victor…

Answers Team: What do you enjoy about answering?

Victor: “Two parts to it.  First, I like to think that my answers are interesting and may be helpful for someone who needs to know.  Secondly, it’s a kind of competition with myself: how much do I know about this subject that I can write down? I’m willingly ignorant about some things and wouldn’t ever answer on those, but some subjects are very close to my head and heart, and I stick to those.”

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?  Where are you based?

“I spend about half the year in South London and the rest at Igatpuri, Maharashtra, India because my wife is Indian and there is a big family there.  Although I’ve worked in education and the Civil Service, I’m self employed now, so I can find work in both places and India is nicer than UK between November and April.  At this moment, therefore, I’m at Igatpuri which is 19 degrees north of the Equator and about 73 degrees east of London.”

You seem to answer in some quite diverse categories, such as history, economics and mathematics – can you explain a little about your interest in these areas?

“I went to university in the early 1960s and studied mathematics and economics, and then did a Masters 15 years later in management sciences [maths in business and engineering].  I’ve written books on these subjects.  However, my real intellectual love is history and I’ve studied that formally and informally since childhood – but you can’t make a living from it!  I did a minor in my BA in history, especially the development of government and democracy in Europe and North America.  As you see, I’ve a big interest in a range of subjects and special knowledge is some of them.”

Does work, education or your own personal experiences inform your choice answering?

“Mostly, I answer from personal knowledge or from academic research interests.  If a question is about business, management or government then I can answer from experience, and the same goes for maths and economic theory.  History involves judgement as well as knowledge and I try to bring both into my answers.  For a time, some weeks ago, I was a Top Contributor in History but then that status was removed.  I don’t know why or if the removal indicates something I’ve done wrong.”

Can you tell me more about where you live (some of the year) in India?

“Igatpuri, to be honest, has been a rail station and truck stop until this past 5 years. Now it’s a boom town because of the dual carriageway highway from Mumbai to Nashik, and the opening of the big Mahindra diesel engine plant. The town is a pilgrimage centre because of the Vipissanar meditation centre and ashram, and the old temple of Ghatendevi (goddess of the mountain).  The elephant statues at Ghatendevi are carved out of wood and covered in stucco, which is whitened each year.”

“The town is located at about 1300 metres (4400 ft) above sea level and the mountains behind the town rise to about 1900 metres (6000 ft).  Igatpuri is in the Nashik District of Maharashtra, which is the centre of the Indian wine-making industry and produces some very fine vintages, similar in style to California and some Australian types.  See, for example www.tigerhillvineyards.com.”

One of the great things about the Answers community is that you never know who could be answering your question. It could be a kindly elderly woman in the suburbs of Perth, a hip teenager on the streets of New York or a middle aged Singaporean businessman. At any time of the day or night you gain a variety of opinions from different people with entirely unique backgrounds and views on life.

Many users on Answers don’t come for recipe tips or to discuss the economy. They’re looking for advice on something a lot more complex – matters of the heart. We’ve all been there; we’ve wondered about whether our crush returns our affections and how we should respond in different romantic situations. It doesn’t matter how old or experienced you are, love is a complicated emotion and sometimes you just need some independent advice to help you see straight.

That’s where this week’s featured user, ♥♥LOVE GURU♥♥ comes in. He’s a 29-year-old writer/journalist with a top contributor rating in the Singles and Dating sub category. In under a year, he’s managed to get 760 best answers from a total of 1353 answers, giving him a 56% best answer rate.

While ♥♥LOVE GURU♥♥’s background is in computer programming, he has attained a bachelor degree in Electronic Media Communications and minors in Sociology, Geology and Women’s Studies. This is perhaps where his interest in giving advice came from. ♥♥LOVE GURU♥♥ writes a weekly advice column and is working on a book about relationships, health, sex and dating. He finds Answers to be a great place to try out his advice before he uses it elsewhere.

So what inspires his answers to the lovelorn?

I draw from my own experiences, my education, and common sense. That last one is pretty important. Sometimes the best thing you can do, is just use a little common sense. Often, rather than just provide advice, I’ll rephrase the person’s question in a new way, and they’re able to help themselves. Often, we know what we should do, but the situation is just really confusing. It just takes someone to either agree with you, or help you look at it in new way.

♥♥LOVE GURU♥♥ finds he often is giving advice to young people who are just beginning to date as they often have many questions and want straight answers. He says:

Of course, I’m careful to not be obscene, but I do draw from both my sociology, behavioural, women’s studies and reproductive biology background to try to answer their questions. I’m careful not to talk down to them, but I try to use language that they’ll understand. It doesn’t do any good to talk down to people, because they tune you out.

♥♥LOVE GURU♥♥ has also found that some questioners are curious to know more about human behaviour. They don’t just want to know how to improve their relationship situation, but also why different people react in different ways.

A common question I get is, how do you ask someone out? It really bugs me to see all these short responses people leave, like, “You just ask them.”  Well, that doesn’t really help them.  So, I like to go into a little more detail.  Again, I keep things conversational, but I provide scripts, examples and biological explanations for why someone may have difficulty speaking to someone.  Oh, I know, it sounds way too complex to provide biological explanations, but the emails and IMs I’ve gotten tell me different.  People like hearing why they are, the way they are. They like hearing they are not alone.  They like hearing there is a biological, psychological, sociological and even anthropological reason for why they’re behaving the way they are. When we start to understand our behaviour, we can actually do something about it. When we receive scripts to follow, hear examples of how others have overcome this problem and get real detail, then and only then can we do something about it.

Next time you’re having a relationship crisis, you’ll know where to turn!

Caitlin
Community Manager

PS Know someone who’s “wow-ed” you on Answers? Think somebody deserves to be celebrated as the next Featured User on the Answers Blog? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment below with a link to the user’s profile or best answer, or email the Answers team at: y_answrs_team_au@yahoo.com.au

Our most recent Featured User certainly has an impressive record. With a 92% Best Answer rate, Trusylver has made a huge impact in the Diet & Fitness section of the Answers community.

This sporting specialist currently lives in South East Queensland but spent her formative years in Bega on the South Coast of NSW. She studied electronic engineering and holds a diploma of E-Business but after many years as a web developer, she realised her true calling was fitness so is now studying to become a fully qualified personal trainer.

From reading her Answers, she certainly has what it takes to instruct and motivate effectively. Questions about toning, weight loss, weight training, exercise routines and even diet have been discussed by Trusylver. She’s advised how to gain weight, how to get stronger, how to build arm muscles and how to reduce leg fat.

When Trusylver isn’t improving the fitness and strength of Australian gym junkies, she is usually found studying or training at the gym for not only fitness but for Powerlifting competitions. She also enjoys playing Warhammer fantasy, reading and takes care of her 3 sons and a husband.

In her own words:

Answering questions not only make me feel like I am helping people but also helps me focus on my study and to increase my own knowledge when I need to do additional research so that I can provide accurate and helpful answers.

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!

We all rely on our friends and relatives to help solve everyday problems, but sometimes they’re not around to help you out or haven’t found themselves in your particular conundrum. And that’s where Answers comes in: somewhere online where you can ask how-to and why-is-it questions, to get answers from the millions of people out there!

We know you’ve all experienced the wonder of Answers, that glow you get from getting a really great solution to your current headache, but occasionally we, the Answers team, come across questions asking why we should even share knowledge on Answers at all? People ask: what’s the point?

So we thought for once, instead of asking you why you think Answers is a great place to share and exchange knowledge, we’d flip the script. We’ve asked various members of the global Answers team, from those who work with the community to those who build and maintain the site, what they think is so great about participating on Answers and what their favourite moments have been.

Here is what they said:

Martin Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers team on the power of a bus…

Since Answers launched the UK and Ireland, we’ve loved watching the community grow. Seeing people get a great answer and walk away with a problem solved, thanks to Answers, is a wonderful thing. But nothing compares to literally being there when a first-time participant just… ‘gets it.’

During 2006, we took Answers on the road, finding experts and enthusiasts wherever they might be: food events, flower shows or university campuses. As we took them through asking a question, the responses varied. But there was always a common moment, that made the whole trip worthwhile, when a great answer appeared. I could compare it to a “Eureka” moment, was like a metaphorical light bulb switched on above their head, but it was deeper than that. Suddenly to them, like it did to millions of other people worldwide, Answers really made sense.

Silvia Yahoo! Spain Answers team on cooking up great ideas…

I really love cooking and in Answers I find a place to exchange knowledge related to food. I like to try new things, especially from places I’ve never been to. Answers is a really good place to find recipes and ask for techniques. You can check out the results of the answers provided by the community here. I also like to help people who are learning to cook with simple recipes and tips.

Christian Yahoo! Germany Answers team on expanding his knowledge circle…

Profiting from others’ experiences is great. Each of us relies on the advice of our circle of friends. Yet on Answers, you can benefit from many more people and their experiences and knowledge – and you also can gain the friendship of others. Even if I still rely on my friends, the Answers community has helped me with so many things I could never have found out with regular web search, I’ve lost count.

Fionna Yahoo! Canada Answers team on power of Answers…

To me, Yahoo! Answers *is* the Internet. The Internet is an infinite and instant source of interactive information … and so is Yahoo! Answers. It’s a vast community of people using the most powerful search engine of all — their own brains — to help each other. Yahoo! Answers perfectly encapsulates all the power and possibilities of the entire Web in one place.

Mark Yahoo! Answers Global Product Operations on making a difference to someone…

Like most people, thoughts regularly pop into my head on subjects that I want to know the answer to.  I could spend my time researching to find out… but prefer instead to take the old-fashioned (and lazy!) approach of asking people directly.  For this, Answers is unbeatable.

But, in my eyes, the thing that really makes Answers great and continues to amaze me is that every second of every day people around the world are busy using Answers to find information in exactly the same manner. Every contribution we make can make a difference to someone else in another part of the globe.

This is the first in a two-part series of blog posts on our thoughts on Answers, 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!

We all know that over the years, Yahoo!7 Answers has helped many people out there. From relationship advice to gardening tips to questioning scientific truths, millions of users have found the knowledge they were looking for.

In this award winning short story, The Life of Brian (or Lack Thereof), the central character’s fascination with Answers is only partly about helping other people with his intelligent and unique answers. He also uses the site as an outlet for his competitive nature, pitting himself against overseas devotees with (in his opinion) less superior brain matter.

The 18-year-old short story writer, Brisbanite Maree Spratt, used her brother as the inspiration behind her entry into the State Library of Queensland Young Writers competition. It was her sensitive portrayal of Brian and her pithy writing style that earnt her first prize.

According to Maree, Answers was an ideal choice as an internet preoccupation for many reasons:

I wanted my character to spend a lot of time on the internet … however I didn’t want him to trawl through social networking sites or chat rooms, because they can be quite anarchic and are too people-focused. Someone as hard working and productive as Brian would see them as pointless. Yahoo! Answers seemed like the perfect virtual hang out for my character because it’s all about giving and receiving knowledge, which is one of his preoccupations. I also knew that the points system would appeal to his productive, ambitious side.

When researching Answers, Maree took a look around the site and was impressed with the dedication of the Answerers. She said one particular question stood out:

‘I’m going out in three hours and want to do something different with my hair. Any suggestions?’

Maree noted:

She even listed the different brands of curling irons and hair products that she owned. People actually answered back. Since I can’t muster enough energy to care about my own hair, I thought it was amazingly altruistic of them to get involved in the hair dilemma of an online stranger.

If you’d like to read Maree’s award winning short story, click here for the pdf version. Congratulations Maree!

Caitlin
Community Manager

Our featured user this week is a true patriotic Australian! Ozmaniac is a top contributor in both the General – Australia and the NSW (Sydney) travel subcategories. It is her knowledge of Australian immigration and visas that has provided assistance to, no doubt, hundreds of potential Aussies.

Ozmaniac lives in Brisbane and has very diverse areas of interest. Her first job at 15 was as a calculator operator and she hasn’t looked back since. This role led to the computer industry, and she says, “I’ve worked in the computer industry since long before it was an industry.” She has also bred cats and loves sports, especially Australian Rules.

Despite all her experiences, Ozmaniac feels most at home in the Travel – Australia category on Answers. Her background knowledge of immigration and visas stem from family contacts who work in the immigration department. She believes that Australia is crying out for skilled immigrants and she does her best to help them understand the minefield of rules and requirements that need to be satisfied in order to gain a visa.

She also likes to answer questions about books and authors, local businesses, computers and babies (she was a volunteer breastfeeding advisor for years) and anything else that takes her fancy as it appears on the Home page.

In her own words:

I discovered Answers by accident in April this year when I was searching for some info (on dishwasher salt of all things), but was immediately hooked. I think it’s a fantastic resource for people to get information and advice on just about any subject and I’m pleased to be able to contribute. I’ve only ever asked a handful of questions, but each time, I received some great and very useful answers.

Thanks Ozmaniac!

Caitlin
Community Manager

PS If you’ve seen an answer that has impressed you this much and you think the Answerer deserves credit where credit is due, please email us on y_answrs_team_au@yahoo.com.au.