Yahoo!7 Answers Australia

Following our changes to the Search experience on Answers last week we received a lot of feedback from you, the community, around the changes we had made.

Advanced search changes

We’ve reacted to your feedback to make changes that now allow you to add parameters to the URL, which will enable you to sort the search results to your preference.  In order to do this, here are the parameters you would need to add:

• &orderby=+date (to sort by most recent)
• &orderby=-date (to sort by oldest)

For example a search for `dogs` gives this URL: http://au.answers.yahoo.com/search/search_result?p=dogs

If you want to sort search results by the most recent, simply add `&orderby=+date` to the end of the URL:  http://au.answers.yahoo.com/search/search_result?p=dogs&orderby=+date

We will look to add these filters within the page itself over the coming months.

In addition, we have noticed that search terms within quotation marks (“ and “) were returning no results.  A few code tweaks later and hey presto – results have now returned!

Further changes

Last but not least, we’ve also taken this opportunity to fix some other bugs on the site:

• For Internet Explorer users we’ve fixed the layout issue on the Ask/Answer/Discover banner.
• We have also made changes to content deletion.  Previously, when you deleted your question or answer, it was still showing in the public view of your profile page.  From now on when you delete a question or answer, it will be entirely removed from your public profile page

Keep the feedback coming!

A month ago, we presented a blog outlining the five golden rules to follow when asking questions on Answers. After receiving good feedback the community and based on your suggestions, we have decided to outline the five golden rules about answering questions. After all, what would a great question be without a great answer? Here are the rules to ensure quality answers to help improve the site’s content.

1. Remember that you are answering to help the asker: Don’t answer just for the sake of getting points or to advertise your own questions to the community. If you don’t know the answer, skip to a question you may be more knowledgeable about. And remember, we now have suggested questions for active users. These are questions that will automatically appear on your homepage. If you want to learn more about this feature, click here.
2. Be polite and respectful: No one likes to be ridiculed and insulted. If you don’t agree with the question, offer your point of view in a constructive and respectful way. Answers is a diverse community where everyone is entitled to their own opinion. If you feel that a question or answer violates the community guidelines, report it. Learn more about the reporting system here.
3. Use correct spelling: Avoid SMS language and grammatical errors. An answer filled with spelling mistakes and typos is confusing and doesn’t improve the Answers quality. The more understandable your answer is, the higher the chance it will be chosen as Best Answer or make an impression on someone else.
4. Be relevant: Don’t digress or change the subject when answering a question. Give a concise answer that sticks to the point.
5. Link to existing sources that have the answer to the question: If you know an excellent website or book that might help, mention it – as long as it’s not spam of course. Also cite your sources, they are always helpful if anyone wants more information.

If you want to know more, don’t hesitate to visit our community guidelines and our help pages. Feel free also to share with the community some good questions or answers that you found on the site in your comments to this post.

Yahoo!7 Answers Team

Through this blog, our email address and the forum, we receive a lot of feedback about what you like and don’t like on the site. One of the usual comments from our users is about the content quality of the questions and answers. As you probably know, our community guidelines exist both to explain our daily moderation on the site and also to help you ask better questions and give better answers. Let’s check some golden rules to help improve your experience and obtain higher quality answers for your questions.

1. Start your question with who”, “why”, “how”, etc: Optimise your chance to get good answers with an understandable question. Don’t forget that people are coming on the site to share their knowledge and answer some questions, so make it easier for them to find yours! E.g. How can I successfully complete a rubik cube?
2. Use proper English for your questions and answers: Correct spelling and grammar and not using SMS language helps people find your questions. Not only that but you’ll get better answers when others can clearly make out what you’re asking. E.g. “I fink fat the solution is…” should be “I think that the solution is…”
3. Open the debate politely: Remember we’re a diverse community of people with diverse opinions. Feel free to introduce your point of view with constructive thoughts or examples or compare your vision with other’s personal experiences. By citing sources, using quotation marks, and including hyperlinks, you make the community stronger.
4. Categorise your question correctly: Placing your question in the right category helps it be seen by people who can give you better information and more accurate answers.
5. Respect the opinions of other users: Remember we’re a diverse community of people with diverse opinions. Everyone wants to be treated with respect and showing respect to others makes the community better for all members. Don’t ask or answer on subjects about another member. We’re here to share knowledge, not to gossip!

And remember, you can always do a search to check if the question on your mind has been asked before. If you want to know more, don’t hesitate to check our community guidelines or our help pages. Feel free also to share with the community some good questions or answers that you found on the site in your comments.

Take care !

Yahoo!7 Answers Team

There are many reasons to love Answers. Some thrive on providing helpful answers that benefit the community. Others enjoy being able to benefit from so much knowledge by a simple click. If you’re an expert in a specific area, why not use that knowledge and become a Top Contributor? A Top Contributor is a member of the community who has shown that they are knowledgeable in a particular category.

How can I become a Top contributor?
With a little dedication a top contributor badge can be yours too. Check out Answers and pick categories you have the most expertise in. Answer questions in the most informative way if you want to increase your chances at getting the best answer. You can be a top contributor in up to three categories.

Remember that the top contributor badge is dynamic, which means that you earn it or lose it depending on your recent participation in a particular category. In other words, the more you participate, the more likely you will earn a badge and but if you stop participating, you will lose your badge. To recover your badge, you have to increase your activity in a specific category again.

Keep in mind that while sharing what you know is encouraged, it is also important to make sure you don’t share anything that puts your answer in violation of the Community Guidelines.

Have more questions? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Here at Yahoo!7 Answers, we strive to provide quality content for the community. Every day, trusted users work together to report and remove any content that violates the Community Guidelines. Since abusive content is the most talked-about topic, here is a refresher on what we expect from our users.

Do:

• Show courtesy to your fellow community members
• Ask and Answer clearly
• Share what you know
• Cite your sources
• Categorise your questions correctly
• Star/Thumbs-up great questions and answers
• Report abuse

Don’t:

• Rant – Posting questions with the sole aim of giving your opinions is a no-no. So is answering questions for the purpose of venting. When you post a question, it must be written in the form of a question. When you answer, it must attempt to answer the question being asked.
• Insult others or be obscene – Sexually explicit content and images are not welcome on the site. We also do not tolerate any form of insult, discrimination or hate speech. Answers is a diverse community, hence everyone should be respected.
• Spam – Answers is not a recruiting site, a dating site or an advertising billboard. Posting irrelevant links for personal or financial gain is prohibited.
• Cheat – Creating multiple accounts to reward yourself, copying and pasting other people’s answers and asking for points are all infractions.
• Be harmful and violent – promoting violence or harmful practices and threatening or harassing other users violates the guidelines. Anything that is considered illegal in everyday life is also illegal on Answers.
• Share illegal content – You can share information about where to download free entertainment and programs as long as it’s a free and legal download site.

We have received many questions about why this or that was deleted, and we think these explanations will help you better understand the Community Guidelines. In extreme cases, members risk losing their Yahoo! ID, and consequently, access to all other Yahoo!7 services. If everyone follows the rules, content quality will be at its best.

Have more questions? Leave us a comment and let us know!

We all love being able to ask questions and get answers about any topic and share knowledge and experiences with a simple click. Whether you’re answering questions or just browsing, there a many ways to contribute to improving the content on Answers.

How can I rate great questions?
Like some of the questions out there? Why not star them? Giving a star to good questions helps Answers promote the best content on the site. When a question gets a star, it gets nominated to appear in the “Popular” list on the Answers home page. The list showcases what users find the most interesting. To ‘un-star’ a question, simply click the star icon.

How can I rate bad questions or answers?
Sometimes, you see answers you either really like or feel they are not helpful at all. Once you reach Level 2, you have the power to rate answers by clicking thumbs up or thumbs down in the action bar below . When you thumbs-down an answer we will hide it. Click Show to display it again. Use the Report Abuse link to report abusive questions and answers.

Remember: give an answer thumbs down if you feel it is not helpful for the asker. Report an answer if it violates the Community Guidelines.

How can I comment on an answer?
When a Best Answer is chosen, you have the option of adding comments and rating the best answer after the question is resolved. Every time someone gives a thumbs up to your best answer, you automatically get an extra point. The maximum bonus points a Best Answer can accumulate is 50.

Have more questions? Leave us a comment and let us know!

You all know the drill. You can’t get a certain question off your mind so you log on to your Yahoo!7 Answers account and ask. Then comes the wait and the anticipation that somewhere out there in the community, someone will give you the right answer. Sometimes, you get so many great answers, you can’t even pick the best one. Other times, you are disappointed by the responses or even did not get any at all. Here’s how you can deal with asking questions.

How should I ask my question?
Keep it clear and simple. The clearer your question is, the more likely it is you’ll get lots of good answers. Invite the community to answer and give you an explanation.

What if I get no answers?
Review your question to make sure it is clear and not too long. Make sure you placed your question in the appropriate category. Providing additional information to further clarify your question in the Details section is also very useful.

Also, remember that questions stay open for 4 days and you can always extend it one time by 4 more days to a total of 8 days. If no one answers your question after 8 days and your question expires, you can try rephrasing your question and asking it again or search Yahoo!7 Answers to see if anyone else has received an answer to a similar question.

So many great answers, which one to choose?
If you can’t decide on a Best Answers, why not let the Answers community pick their favourite answer to your question? You can put a question up for a vote. In case of a tie, the question remains in voting as a tiebreaker. Once a vote has been cast, you have a best answer.

What if there’s no best answer?
When your question goes into voting, you have the option of voting for ‘No Best Answer’. If most people vote for ‘No Best Answer’, the question is deleted and you get five points credited back to your Answers account.
Have more questions? Leave us a comment and let us know!

To ensure that you get the most out of Answers, we would like to remind you to set a correct email address on your profile. This way, not only will you receive notifications on your questions and answers, but you will also be able to receive emails from other users as well as updates. From time to time, we will send you communications regarding your usage of Yahoo!7 Answers and community feedback regarding your participation.

How do I update my email?
Go to your profile page on Answers and click on Edit My Info. Make sure you have entered the right email and you’ll have nothing to worry about.

The Email Communications from Yahoo!7 Answers tab allows you to choose which notifications you want to receive.

And remember: we will never display your email or use it for any purpose than to send you notifications regarding your questions and Answers. If you choose to allow other users to contact you, your e-mail will not be visible and you can opt in and out of this option whenever you want by going to your profile

Have more questions? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Know someone who shares your interests? Fascinated by a relationship guru or a physics expert? Let your favourite users become part of your very own personal network on Answers.

How does it work?
Adding people to the Answers Contacts Network is literally a few clicks away! It can be as simple as following the “Add to My Contacts” link on any profile page or Avatar rollover. You can also invite friends from outside of Answers to join your network. Your friends can even be Contacts from your Yahoo!7 Address Book. Visit our “Invite a Friend” page to start sending out invitations to your friends. By adding people to your network, you will have direct access to their Q&A. Their most recent content will appear on the Answers homepage and on your profile page. You will also be able to see which questions your friends have starred. If you want to look at more Q&A, click on “My Network’s Q&A”, which is located at the top of your profile page.

Users who have added you to their network are called “Fans.” You can view your fans by clicking on the “Fans” tab on your profile page. When you add someone as a “Contact,” you will appear in their “Fans” tab as well.

What if I don’t want fans?
Easy! You can always opt out of the contact network.

• Go to your profile and click on “Edit my Info.”
• Uncheck the box that says “Allow other people to be my Fan” under the “Yahoo!7 Answers Network” preferences.

What about you? Do you already have a contact network? Any interesting stories with your friends on Answers? Leave us a comment and share your story!

Time flies when you’re having fun with Yahoo!7. It’s already been a year and a half since we launched Community Moderation on Answers. Everyday trusted users work together to report and remove any content that violates the Community Guidelines and Yahoo!7 Terms of Service. Here is a nice refresher if you’d like to be part of our effective system.

How does Community Moderation work?
Before:
Any user could report abusive content on Answers. A Yahoo!7 employee then reviewed the report and decided whether to keep or to delete the content. This system is still in place.

Now:
Thanks to Community Moderation, our efforts to control abusive content on Answers have greatly increased. Once a report is submitted to Yahoo!7, Community Moderation measures the reputation of both the reporter and the person being reported. The system then determines whether it can remove the reported item directly from the site based on community input or whether further review is needed.

How does the reputation system work?
You must be very familiar with the Community Guidelines in order to become one of our trusted Answers users. When you feel you have a good idea about what’s acceptable on Answers as you begin to report content, you will build a good reputation and gain influence. The more accurate reporting you do, the higher your reputation will become.

However, if you abuse Community Moderation, your reputation will suffer. With a low reputation, your power to report and remove potential abuse will be reduced, which could result in a suspension.

The community is very important to the Answers team: without it the site is nothing, so we have set up protection mechanisms to filter out specific targeting of one user by another. Similarly the system promotes accurate reporters, giving them more influence.

How does the appeal system work?
Although very effective, Community Moderation is not perfect. Incorrect reports will occasionally happen and some users will find their content erroneously deleted. If your question or answer is reported, we’ll send you an email stating that it has been removed. If you feel that the system was mistaken, first read the Community Guidelines to double-check. If you still think there’s a strong case, click on the “Appeal” link in the e-mail to submit an appeal. This will be reviewed by a Yahoo!7 employee. If we agree, your question or answer will reappear on Answers, and whoever reported you will have less influence when they report abuse in the future.

We highly encourage you to appeal if you’ve read the Community Guidelines and are sure your content has been removed in error. If your appeal is successful, not only will your content be reinstated but your reputation will be boosted and those that reported you will lose reputation. Of course, we would advise you not to appeal for the sake of appealing either. If your content truly deserved to be deleted, it is very unlikely we will put it back on the site just because you’ve appealed.

What to do if you report spam content?
Easy! Report an abuse and indicate that it’s spam. You might remember that we used to ask you to report Spam on the Forum. The Community Moderation system is faster and will help you improve your reputation if you report correctly, so reporting spam using the “Report abuse” button is beneficial for everyone.

That was an update on how it works. We hope you found this helpful! However, if you still have questions, please leave us a comment and we’ll be happy to assist!