Yahoo! India Answers blog

As a part of the recent changes to Yahoo! Answers, we will also be rolling out a few changes to the search experience over the next few days.

We’ve taken the feedback you’ve provided and have incorporated your comments to improve the current search experience. Through the new search experience, you’ll notice a new, re-designed layout on your search results page, making it easier to refine your search without having to leave the page.

1- We’ve taken all of the options which were previously available in Advanced Search and moved them to the left-hand-side of this page to make it easier to customize your search queries.

2 – The category dropdown has been re-structured to fit this new design.

3- For those of you who perform the same search regularly, we’ve also thought of you: we’ve replaced the `Make this my default search option` with the `My Saved Search` feature. `My Saved Search` allows you to save your favourite search so you can easily access the results from anywhere on Yahoo! Answers. By checking this box Answers will store your most frequent searches. You can then click on the `My Saved Search` link next to the `Search Answers` button to access your saved search from wherever you are on the site.

You can find out more about making the most of `My Saved Search` by checking out this help article.

As with all of the changes we’re making at the moment we’d love to hear your feedback. Leave us a comment here on the blog or on the feedback thread on the Suggestion board (link to be added).

The next time you log into Yahoo! Answers you may notice things look a little bit different. We’re rolling out a new homepage and navigation over the next few days. Don’t worry: if you don’t see the new changes just yet, you will soon.

We’ve made quite a few changes to the homepage, so to make navigation a bit easier, we’ve broken things down for you by section, so let’s get started.

1- New Navigation

You may have noticed that atop the Answers banner, there are four new, navigation tabs: Home, Browse Categories, My Activity, and About. Each of these tabs (as well as the green Answers banner) will stay with you throughout your experience on the site, making it easier for you to get to the places on Answers you care about most.

Home: This brings you back to the main page of Answers, where you can see the Best of Answers rotating module, the link to the Answers Blog (which is now on the right hand side, as well as the most recent questions posted on the site.

Browse categories: more about this below

My activity: From here, you can go directly to your Answers profile, view your network, your network activity, and even edit your preferences.

About: Learn all about Answers, revisit the Community Guidelines, check out the leaderboard, Suggestion Board, and visit the Answers Blog.

2 – Browsing categories

On the old Answers homepage (http://yanswersblog.com/Pictures/oldanswershp.jpg) all of the categories were permanently displayed on the left hand column, hogging up homepage space that could have been used for valuable questions. We’ve decided to tuck the categories away under the top hide-away menu where you can easily access them any time, or, if you want to view them all at once, just click on the browse category tab to be taken to the “All Categories” page . From here, you’ll be able to peruse all of the questions that are: open, resolved or in voting on the site.

3- An updated look and feel

Over the past few years we’ve heard from quite a few of you that you love the Answers green but it’s just a little too green. So we’ve taken your feedback to heart and have toned down the green just a bit and have replaced the white background with a light blue that is a little easier on the eyes. Our smilies (4) have also received a facelift and look a bit more polished throughout the site.

Additionally, you’ll notice that the page feels a bit wider—one thing we heard from you when we introduced the new category pages several months back was that you liked the extra space. This extra space allows us to display even more questions on the homepage, making it easier for you to jump right in.

But wait, there’s more!

This release doesn’t just include cosmetic changes—we also included quite a few backend bug fixes, as well as a few feature requests, like updating the category leaderboards much more regularly. Starting today, category leaderboards will update on a daily basis instead of weekly. Please note they will NOT be real-time, but will update at the end of each day (PST). This means at 2pm PST on Thursday, your points total will show as it was at 23:59 PST on Wednesday.

Tell us what you think

Once you’ve given the new homepage a test drive, tell us what you think! We’ve started two threads on the Suggestion Board for the new homepage—one for questions and one for suggestions – and we’ll be checking them regularly. Additionally, you’re always welcome to use the “Tell us what you think” link found at the bottom of every Yahoo! Answers page. You’re also welcome to leave your comments here, on the blog.

Thanks, and we hope you like it!

March brings in its wake summer heat and bright colours. All of India gears to celebrate the festival of colours. It is a fun-filled festival that brings out the child in every person no matter what the age. People throw Holi gulal and Abeer on friends. There is a lot of music and dancing.

Most revellers love the special thandai on Holi. Thandai is a a cold beverage that is laced with bhang (preparation from the leaves and buds of the female cannabis plant) and prepared with almonds, spices, milk and sugar.

One popular legend that is reputed to bring about the birth of ‘Holi’ goes that long ago there was an evil king named King Hiranyakasipu. His son, prince Prahlad was very holy and often prayed to God. Infuriated by this, the wicked king ordered his sister, the demon Holika, to kill his son. The demon Holika, who was immune to fire, captured prince Prahlad and entered a fire furnace. But Holika herself was burnt to ashes. Prince Prahlad was safe. The legend states that before the demon aunt died, she begged for prince Prahlad’s forgiveness and the prince forgave her and announced that her name would be remembered once a year. Thus the festival ‘Holi’ was created.

There is also another story behind the festival of ‘Holi’ and it is based on the everlasting love between Krishna and Radha. It seemed that in Hindu mythology Lord Krishna was known to court Radha and the light-hearted mischievous courtship of his was linked to Holi. Thus Holi is the celebration of love as well.

In today’s age it is an interesting and fun festival that helps us keep cool even as we have fun! But here is something you can tell us – What do the colours of Holi mean to you?

Answer away or leave a comment. Share your Holi happiness with us.

Happy Holi!

Bhumika Anand
Community Manager

For most of us it’s just another day. But for some it’s ‘The Day’ – when you go out with that special someone and create memories of a lifetime. And for others in India especially, it is the day to stage protests and revise on Indian culture and thrust those revisions rather violently on others who think of it as a day to celebrate.

No matter what category you belong to, on Answers you can celebrate this day creatively and not worry about being judged.

We want you to submit EITHER your sweetest Valentine or, the best anti-Valentine you can come up with.

REMEMBER, your Valentine must still follow the Yahoo! Answers Community Guidelines and the Yahoo! Terms of Service, so don’t: rant, use hate speech, use suggestive language, be offensive, or say anything that might not be appropriate for anyone under the age of 13. If you wouldn’t show it to your grandma, don’t post it here.

Since we know Valentine’s day is often a crafty holiday, we’ve again, partnered with our friends over at Flickr to create an Answers Flickr pool where you can upload your Valentine.

If you choose to upload an image, please do not upload photographs of yourself: instead, please download the Yamster — Sites like Picnick have provided holiday scenes and smooches appropriate for Valentine’s day, but feel free to search the web for more!

You’re not limited to using just the Yamster, but please remember, no photographs of people or body parts will be permitted.

Not feeling crafty? Don’t worry—we’ve posted an open question here: What love poems and sonnets or anti-love messages will you be sharing this Valentine’s Day?

Whatever you decide to do, don’t delay, as all submissions are due by February 10th at 12 Noon. We’ll review all submissions and will select winners based on creativity, and dedication, so be sure to put your heart into it!

Winners will be posted by the end of the day on Friday, February 12. And winners get a chance to win a few extra Answers points!

So go on, spread the love or your dislike! But do read the rules here.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Cheers,
Bhumika Anand
Community Manager

Photo by chrisjohnbeckett

At the start of the year, many people often think about getting things in shape: their homes, their bodies, but they don’t stop to think about getting their computers in shape. While online safety and virus protection should be thought about year round, this is a great time to take a quick refresher course on some of the common online threats that you may (or may not) encounter while surfing the net.

Online and within the news you’ve likely heard of some of the most common terms (malware, spam, viruses, and Trojans), but may not have known what they are, or, how to protect yourself or your computer from them. We’ve pulled together a quick resource guide outlining the who’s who, and where to go for more information. But when online, some of the most important things to remember are:

Don’t trust pop-ups; things pretending to be virus checkers may actually be viruses (more on that later)
You don’t have to understand a lot about online security to protect against the most common online threats. Keep your computer up to date and be suspicious about the sites you visit- employ the same skills you do in real life as you do online: don’t give out your personal information to strangers, and don’t trust something because it “sort of” looks official. And remember to trust your instincts: if it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.

What’s malware?
Malware is software that does something you don’t want done, usually installed without your permission. It includes viruses, worms and Trojans.

What is spam?
Spam is/can be: the repeated postings of the same content; off topic banter/answers/comments; links to commercial sites or merchandise; in general, unsolicited, unwanted or irrelevant messages, links or postings. You may run into it in your inbox, on message boards, in comments sections, etc. Basically, anywhere that someone can enter or submit text is susceptible to spam.

What is phishing?
This is any attempt to steal your account information. Phishers set up fake web sites that look like those of trusted companies to trick you into disclosing your account information. These pages can look nearly identical to the real thing, so it can be hard to tell that you are on a phony site.

Most commonly, you’ll see these as emails asking for the password to your bank account, your Yahoo! email account (urging you to send your account information or else your account will be terminated), or your credit card information. If you run into a phishing email on Yahoo!, please do report it to us!

Remember to never click on links in emails, no matter how official they look. Use bookmarks or physically type the site name in.

To protect yourself further, set a sign-in seal and don’t give out your Yahoo! password on your computer unless you see your sign-in seal (for more information on this, go here. This helps you know when you’re on a phishing page, or when you’re on a legitimate Yahoo! login page.

Yahoo! Security Center

At http://security.yahoo.com/ you can assess your PC’s exposure to online threats, including malware, viruses, and an assortment of other online risks. Additionally, you can also learn about:

Protecting your PC
Protecting your online privacy
Protecting your children online at Yahoo! Safely
Getting rid of pop-ups, viruses, adware, or spyware
And much more!

How to help protect your machine

Be sure that your computer has antivirus software installed and that its virus definitions are up-to-date- many computers do not, and this leaves them open to many malware attacks. Programs like Norton Anti-Virus or http://www.malwarebytes.org/ will help protect and prevent future attacks.

If you see a pop-up, close it promptly, without clicking on anything inside the window (buttons inside the window may download software, no matter what the label on them says, even if it’s “No”, or “Cancel”). Click the close button on the window frame (the “x” in the upper right on a Windows machine, the red button in the upper left on a Mac).

If that doesn’t work use “Ctrl + F4″ on Windows or “Shift + Cmd + W” on an Apple machine to close the window. Worst case, kill the browser with the Task Manager on Windows or Force Quit on a Mac, and if you can’t do that, reboot the machine. (Be sure to save your work in other programs!)

Then run a virus-scan using an anti-virus program to check for any malware remnants.

At the end of the day, it’s up to YOU to help keep your online experience safe—keep your software up-to-date and be cautious about giving out information, including passwords.

Photo by inka7791

Welcome to week two of the Yahoo! Answers “Get Fit Program.” Last week we told you how you can meet other people looking to share fitness ideas in a Yahoo! Group called “Get Fit, Stay Healthy,” shared some practical exercise tips for corporate employees, and provided a few tips on how to shed excess pounds to tone up your muscles.

This week, our fitness pros, Joanne and Joan from Plus One Health Management have picked a few more questions to answer from the community—you can find their answers below.

Question: “I need help with eating healthy at school when all they sell is cheese fries and pizza!” – Danni

Answer: I can understand your frustration, if you are trying to eat healthy but the healthy options are limited. You may want to bring your lunch to school, to avoid temptation, and to be prepared. You can also talk with the foodservice provider to suggest healthier options. Healthy foods that cafeteria providers sometimes have include sandwiches, yogurt, fruit, baked chicken or fish, and pasta with veggies. Good luck! Also remember that if you are limited on food and have to eat pizza, you can try walking around your school campus with friends to ensure that you’re including a healthy activity with your lunch.

Question: What’s the best way to stretch before working out? – Chris

Answer: Prior to a workout, a warm-up that includes dynamic stretching should be performed. Dynamic stretching involves performing low-intensity movements similar to your workout activity. For example, squats help to get the muscles warm for any type of lower body activity. Static stretching (stretch and hold) is the most beneficial if it is performed after a workout. Not sure what the difference is between dynamic or static stretching is? Check out the definition from our pros, here.

Question: Are there any standing up ab exercises you could do, say, in the shower or waiting in line (that might be awkward)? – Hah.

Answer: Wow you’re really thinking! However, I don’t recommend exercising in the shower as you could slip and injure yourself. Instead, when you’re safe and dry, try standing up tall and tighten your abs. Practice good posture, suck in your abs and maintain normal breathing—all of these things will help you maintain a tight core and help work your abs.

Question from Shine: How do I start exercising when I’m already out of shape?

Start slowly, but make it count—don’t overdo it. Progress quickly, keep it up, and read this article for even more tips from Shine.

Check back next week for even more tips from our fitness gurus as they answer even more of your health and fitness questions!

Phir Mile Sur?

Back in 1988, on August 15, it is safe to say that the whole of India had a lump in its throat and most Indians walked the streets with their heads held a little higher than usual. On this day, Doordarshan released an iconic anthem called Mile Sur (Join notes) which spoke about secularism and national integration. The tune was catchy, the music upbeat, the message non-preachy, and the featured Indians, including a few common folk who represented the ‘aam aadmi’ (common man), were loved by all of India.

Cut to 2010.
All of India celebrated its Republic Day yesterday (January 26). While there were the usual parades, flag hoisting and award ceremonies, what most of India occupied itself with was in tuning into Zoom TV, and watching Phir Mile Sur, the iconic anthem of 1988 re-made.

The Big B in Phir Mile Sur

It is safe to say that this re-make has had mixed responses.

While most want to know why something was left out – WHY DID MAKERS OF PHIR MILE SUR MERA TUMHARA REMOVE SINDHI CONTENT? – many want to know if anyone really liked this new version of a very popular and intensely patriotic song – Did anyone like the new”phir mile sur mera thumhara” video? I felt it as the song of bollywood?

Like this Answerer, many Indians who’ve watched both are terribly disappointed with the way this new production by Zoom TV and the Times of India has turned out especially when compared to the earlier version. What did you think, Answerers? Is it even fair to compare? But what really is the message of Phir Mile Sur? And are the featured personalities really the icons of young India? Do the notes really join in this version? What do you think? Leave us your comment.

Watch Phir Mile Sur here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq31OjsQ124)

And Mile Sur here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gstRrEmTcBc)

- Bhumika Anand
Community Manager

26 days into the New Year, I’m sure most of us have lost the battle of the bulge. But with this fun campaign that we have on the United States Answers portal, we can still motivate ourselves to stay in shape for Valentine’s Day on February 14.

We’ve enlisted the help of Joan Arico and Joanne Haggerty: two fitness pros from “>here and Joan and Joanne will select a handful and answer them over the next few weeks. With your questions and their help, together we’ll help get the Yahoo! Answers community in shape for 2010!

Each week, we’ll feature one question on the blog, as well as health tips and tricks that will help you get in shape and meet your health goals for 2010.

Joan and Joanne: Our Fitness Gurus
Joan Arico

Joan has over 25 years of experience in Corporate Fitness and is certified in both Group Exercise Instruction and Personal Training . She is an AFAA Certified Group Exercise Instructor, AFAA Certified Personal Trainer, BS Degree Recreation Administration, CPR/AED Certified.

Joanne Haggerty

Joanne believes that physical activity should be an integral part of your life as much as is brushing your teeth, but far more fun and enjoyable. She is a personal trainer and works in both individual and group wellness programs.

Between the two of them, they have more than 33 years of fitness and health experience in both the personal and professional sector. Both enjoy sharing fitness and lifestyle tips with others in addition to keeping Yahoo! healthy!

Please note that all questions must be in line with the “>here.

Here are two easy-to-follow suggestions from the fitness gurus that will help us stay fit!

Question: “Can you help hook us up with a diet/exercise buddy where we can commiserate or compare and help keep other on track?” – Love Life

Answer: You bet! We know that part of what makes losing weight tough is feeling like you’re on your own. To help you feel like you’re a little less “on your own” we’ve set up a Yahoo! Group called “Get fit, Stay Healthy! ” (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/getfitstayhealthy) for anyone looking to find a buddy, share their story, or share weight-loss tips.

Please remember this group is NOT open to spam or marketing, so please don’t join it looking to promote your acai-berry shakes, or your weight loss pills. We’ll also cross-post our fitness tips there each week, as well as fitness and health tips from the health editors over at Shine. We hope to see you all there!

Question: “What are some practical fitness options for corporate employees? Some of those guys spend up to 10 hours in their offices. People are designed to be active, but sometimes our jobs make that impossible for us. We aren’t a country of farm and factory workers anymore. We sit in offices and stare at computer screens. What are some easy ways to step back from the desk and get active, even if we have to do it at home?” – Austin D

Answer: Office workers have to work a little harder to burn calories because of the hours of sedentary living. To counteract this, you can try: walking or exercising during lunch breaks, stretching at your desk, workout before or after work. Or, better yet, have meetings while you walk.

An easy solution when your in the office is to take the stairs instead of taking the elevator, and park as far away from the building as you can—that way you’ll have to walk clear across the parking lot to get to your car in the morning and the evening.

When you get home from work, play with your kids outdoors to cut down on TV time and make exercise a family activity. All of these things can help make corporate employees more active (and productive!) both at home and in the office.

Question: “i was just about to ask this question: i am not muscular. i need biceps and a six pack. should i exercise every day? what should i do? i love yahoo answers. i find everything i need on here. thanks yahoo!” — wil

Answer: Thanks for the kudos. For us to see those muscles, you have to work off excess body fat and then have muscles to show! Think healthy eating, cardio, and weights! For a few easy and quick workouts, check out this article from Shine.

For more tips and tricks, and to see what questions our fitness gurus answer next, be sure to check back here next week!

If you have an inquisitive mind, then this challenge is for you!

I’m sure most of you have seen the questions we feature on our “Best of Answers” module available on the Yahoo! India Answers Homepage. We’ve received mails from users who would like to appear in this module asking us how we select the content promoted.

Our choice of questions and answers for Best of Answers is very simple. We look for content that illustrates knowledge, opinions, or personal experiences across resolved questions. Our resolved questions actually represent an incredible database that is not only very attractive for our most experienced users but also the new ones.

But this week, we want to do something different. We’d like to challenge you this week. We’d like to pick your open question and promote it on Best of Answers. And here’s how you can participate:

This way, you’ll not only get featured in the Best of Answers module but also be able to get more answers and participation on your question.

Do remember

Like any other community, we have a core set of principles that must be followed by all members, so don’t hesitate to have a look at our Community Guidelines. You’ll better understand our philosophy and what we’re looking for the Best of Answers.

When people understand you, you tend to get more responses. So do ensure your question is in perfect English; our spell-checker will help you as you type.

Categorize correctly. Placing a question in the right category will help you get relevant responses.

If you plan to answer any of the questions, edit your contributions carefully and cite your sources. Never forget our community is growing quickly and that we receive new visitors all the time.

And of course, remember to copy your question and the link and leave it as comment to this post. That way, your question will definitely be in the running for the Best of Answers Challenge!

So go on, take the Best of Answers Challenge!

All the best and thanks in advance for your suggestions!

Bhumika Anand
Community Manager

In a primarily agricultural society like ours, the importance of harvest festivals cannot be overstated. Come January 14, and everyone in India gears up to celebrate the harvest festival even if most of us live far away from agricultural lands and in the midst of polluted cities.

What is this tie we have with the earth?

Makara Sankranti is a festival like no other. Called Pongal in Tamil Nadu and Lohri in Punjab, this is a festival that unites all of India’s sons of soil. Despite being essentially an earthy festival, it is also deeply spiritual. It is symbolic of new beginnings and fresh starts, of good tidings and peaceful existence.

In Karnataka, typically the festival is celebrated by exchanging sugarcane and a dish made with sesame seeds and jaggery. People wear new clothes and meet and greet each other before settling down to a lunch of pongal (khichdi/ lentil dish made with rice). In villages, the day begins early and farm animals are washed and prayed to. They also organize fun games and events in the evening so the whole community can get together. This practice also acknowledges the fact that after this day the days start becoming longer and warmer. Thus it is also a celebration of the decline of chilly winters.

So what is your story? How is Makara Sankranti celebrated in your state?
Answer the question or leave us a comment.
And a happy harvest festival to you all.

Cheers,
Bhumika Anand
Community Manager