For many years, Google has been my default search engine. It’s what I use to find websites, blogs, news, and so forth about any given subject. But Google search results don’t provide opinions in the same way that Yahoo! Answers does. In fact, the questions people post can be just as interesting and revealing as the replies. Here’s a few:
What religion are you, and how do you know that one is truth?
Should I confront a brother in law who has informed my husband that he should divorce me?
How will the oil spill in the gulf affect the weather and the rain?
Should sex education be a manditory class in high schools throughout the United Sates?
How has your love for others made you a better person?
Real people with genuine questions and concerns.
I even found a few questions asking why people use Yahoo! Answers instead Google search. The responses varied, but generally touched on the idea that Yahoo! Answers creates opportunities for a human response—a digitally mediated one—but human nonetheless. This, Google search does not provide.
And that’s just it. Yahoo! Answers provides a space where people can freely ask and share their opinions. For some people, results are primary, but for others, engaging and being listened to is more important. Even having a question or opinion flagged requires a human response.
Google will remain my search engine of choice, but Yahoo! Answers is where’ll I’ll go online when I’m looking for opinions—not necessarily answers—to eavesdrop when I’m not at the coffee shop.
For many years, Google has been my default search engine. It’s what I use to find websites, blogs, news, and so forth about any given subject. But Google search results don’t provide opinions in the same way that Yahoo! Answers does. In fact, the questions people post can be just as interesting and revealing as the replies. Here’s a few:
Real people with genuine questions and concerns.
I even found a few questions asking why people use Yahoo! Answers instead Google search. The responses varied, but generally touched on the idea that Yahoo! Answers creates opportunities for a human response—a digitally mediated one—but human nonetheless. This, Google search does not provide.
And that’s just it. Yahoo! Answers provides a space where people can freely ask and share their opinions. For some people, results are primary, but for others, engaging and being listened to is more important. Even having a question or opinion flagged requires a human response.
Google will remain my search engine of choice, but Yahoo! Answers is where’ll I’ll go online when I’m looking for opinions—not necessarily answers—to eavesdrop when I’m not at the coffee shop.
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