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Thu | October 26, 2006

Yahoo Answers

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It's now been eight days since I joined Yahoo Answers on Wednesday at around 1 am. I had watched that movie on television, and was looking for the title, and then the ending. Actually I joined earlier, over the summer. But then dropped it after two questions, and now picked it up again and really started looking into it. I think I have wasted a lot of time, like maybe twenty hours' worth, over the past week. Seriously. But I try not to be too hard on myself-- to think of it as a modern web experience, rather than beat myself over the head with it like I have been doing. I really need to stop though. Last night I was up til 4 am just reading people's stupid questions and more stupid answers.

The hooks of Yahoo Answers: a point system. This is something that Yelp, which I've recently also wasted tons of time on, doesn't have. Every day you log onto Yahoo Answers you get a point. You get two points for answering a question, one point for voting on a best answer, and ten points for being voted as the best answer. You spend five points if you want to ask a question. So basically for every thing you ask of people, you have to give two or three things in return. Some people don't care, they ask away and they have negative points. But not me. I have asked several questions and I've also answered many more to keep my balance up. In addition there are levels. I am only ten points from level 2. Then I will stop. Really.

Another hook: the fact that you aren't really doing anything, and yet have the illusion of doing something. Most of the time you are combing the beach for interesting questions, clicking on them and waiting the 2.5 seconds or whatever for the page to load. Not a lot of time but it adds up. Even moving the pointer over to the link, this is time. And most of your time on Yahoo Answers consists of this sort of activity. Then you are reading the full question and the answers. Most of the answers are basically the same. But there is something immediately addictive about reading seventeen variations on a theme. You aren't doing much new by reading each one. And yet there is the gradual progress of reading them. It's a bit OC (obsessive compulsive) I think. To reconsider something in seventeen repetitions. The hook is these very small pieces, this gradual progress.

Finally, most of the questions are things you have on your mind. Where should I eat in New York? And relationships questions. Friends. Television. Dating. Anything. It's all questions asked by people, and the fact is you do have a lot of the same questions on your mind as other people. What I like is that you get questions like Should I quit my job? Why don't I have friends like the ones I see on tv? that aren't "info" questions and yet these are some of the most compelling, and are more important than the ones asking for esoteric facts.

Actually the ultimate hook may be that my mind is naturally inclined towards questions, and focused on the unknown. Yahoo Answers plays towards some of my primary characteristics: the desire to know, for concrete signs of progress (a points system), and to communicate (with the real people asking and answering and reading). Also the organization of questions into categories [some of which are notably lacking (for example the "Dining Out" category is subdivided into countries, which is fine, but then only into the major cities of the U.S. So basically NJ is left out, and falls into the "other" category where you get a bunch of miscellaneous places. You could always do a search for NJ but it should have its own category.)] .

So I spent much of yesterday numbly playing Literati and reading people's questions. At least it took me down suddenly, instead of in a minor and insidious way, like Yahoo Mail does. I only check email once a day now because I realize it's such a waste of time. And I have three accounts to check so that's actually three times. Sometimes I do another round at night. But I try to keep it down whenever I can remember. Eventually I slip and end up checking it several times a day, but then catch myself and realize I'm doing nothing but emailing. So at least the effect of Yahoo Answers is obvious, and I know I need to get off this thing. Forums in general, or research, or anything where you are reading reviews or clicking for answers, for info, take a lot of time. They are all such time-wasters, better not to do any of them.

Plus the people up there aren't that bright. One look at the "sociology" category proves it. And the relationships category is swamped with children. They should really separate it into teens and adults. I can't really say I'm "learning" anything, but instead confirming or meditating on some of my thoughts, and realizing what I do have worked out. There is something beneficial about helping others, because thinking of how to explain it to them helps you sort it out for yourself. Most of the time, though, I am just reading about what people think of sushi.

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