Hi Answerers,

We are really pleased to announce that Yahoo! Answers has been nominated as one of Time.com’s 50 best websites of 2008. This list is compiled to show the best that the web has to offer – and we’re in it!

All of us on the Answers team are really proud of this recognition and we hope that you, the Community, feel equally as proud. It is your participation, passion and knowledge that has enabled us to become the number 1 Knowledge QnA site in the world and to be nominated in this way.

http://l.yimg.com/i/i/es/se/timec.gif

As you can imagine, this is a great achievement when you consider all of the sites on the web. So, we wanted to say a big “Thank you and congratulations!” to the community for being so great – we couldn’t have done it without you!

If you want to read the whole article (available in English for the moment), you can click here and see which websites ranked higher on the 2008 Time.com list.

The experience of putting a question to the community and seeing the answers flowing to your inbox is gratifying. And picking the ultimate answer for your question gives you the opportunity to share the outcome of your query with millions of people.

Yet for those indecisive people out there who can’t really make their minds up on a Best Answer, they can put their question up for voting and let the community decide.

Voting for Best Answers is a way to share your opinion and make a difference within the community. Not only do you help other members solve their quick crises or philosophical floundering, you also gain points as you vote.

In his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde wrote: “You know more than you think you know, just as you know less than you want to know.” Voting for Best Answers can help you master both. You can share your opinions and test your knowledge by resolving others’ problems. But also you might discover great new things by browsing undecided questions and judging which deserves to be its Best Answer.

So, if you know how to avoid dandruff and prevent hair fall, how to retrieve email after it’s deleted from the trash folder, or have already explored the best way of maintaining a long distance relationship, why not help the community now!

Ever had an answer so good you wanted to jump for joy? Then we want to hear from you at y_answrs_india@yahoo.co.in

Every day intriguing questions get asked on Answers and you, the community help each other out by answering, sharing your experiences and knowledge. Sometimes a simple answer will do, but occasionally you might receive an answer that just blows you away.

If you do, we want to hear from you.

Every week on this blog, we would like to feature someone outstanding from the community. And while everyone’s answers are important, we’re looking for people who are exceptional.

Ideally, they should have worked their ways up the levels system and have a great best-answer percentage.

In addition, they might provide detailed information like Edd e:

How do I create an avatar on Yahoo! and display it?

Edd e:

If you would like to make an avatar or change it, click this link.
http://avatars.yahoo.com/
If you need any help click this link
http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/avatars…
If you want a photo/custom picture as your avatar you need to make a yahoo 360 page. http://360.yahoo.com/login.html?.done=ht…
click “my page” then “edit personal photo” then browse upload and save Set as primary. and save. go to your avatar choose your avatar>preview>OK. then go to yahoo>my profile>edit my info then click use my 360 picture>preview then OK.
Some users are experiencing a delay with the 360 avatar showing. It can take some time to show, but it will eventually, so try to be patient.

Read more>

They should be as well-written as this answer by Brainz:

Why is it better to have round manhole covers than square ones?

Brainz

Best Answer: A square manhole cover can be turned and dropped down the diagonal of the manhole. A round manhole cannot be dropped down the manhole. So for safety and practicality, all manhole covers should be round!

Read more>

Edd e and Brainz are but two of the amazing answerers in our community. We want to celebrate more of them with you.

So if you’ve been wow-ed by someone on Answers and think they deserve credit because it is due, please email us on y_answrs_india@yahoo.co.in or leave a link in the comments section below to an answer.

At Yahoo! Answers, we often come across questions that we’ve all wondered about. The best thing about these questions is that there is a great chance of having them answered - often accurately.

Even if you are not an active seeker of answers, these online Q&A sessions nevertheless make great reading. And aid reckoning.

Like this question, we found on Answers recently:

Can fish swim backwards? We on the Answers team agreed that we have idly wondered about it when we sat in waiting rooms that had an aquarium and plenty of old magazines.

And while on the subject of the animal world, how often have you wondered about whether an ostrich really buries its head in the sand? Brainz, one of our top contributors, taught us that while an ostrich doesn’t really bury its head in the sand, it does lie flat with its neck outstretched to make itself more difficult to spot when threatened.

Then there are these facts and theories we’ve all studied at school. And most of us have promptly forgotten since. Which Indian first visited the space and the moon? and What is the difference between distance and displacement?

It suddenly becomes abundantly clear why a reality show like Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hai? is so successful and watched with so much interest and delight by millions of Indians spanning across age groups.

So Answerers, we urge you to keep the questions and the answers going.

Keep seeking and sharing!

And to conclude, here are two questions that absolutely delighted the editorial team at Yahoo! Answers:

• Do tongue twisters really twist our tongues?
• What is the difference between ‘girlfriend,’ ‘girl friend’, ‘boyfriend’& ‘boy friend’?

What was your favorite question on Yahoo! Answers, Answerers?

Hi Answerers,

The Answers Hall of Fame is ready and up for view!

For those of you who don’t know what we’re talking about, the Answers Hall of Fame is a site dedicated to some of the best-known and well-respected Answerers who have in some major way influenced the Answers community! They have asked, answered and continue to share their knowledge with all those out there who seek information. They are true representatives of what the Answers community is all about!

For now, we have featured 8 elite members here. The page contains the featured user’s contributions, hobbies, passions and achievements.

This is our way of showing appreciation and recognition for the untiring and enthusiastic effort our users put in!

If you also want to be featured here, get started. If we like your work, you’ll be here soon!

The Answers engineers are scheduled to perform regular maintenance on Thursday, June 19th, starting at 11.30 a.m.

We expect the work to last about 2 hours and there will be a total outage on Yahoo! Answers during this time.

Sorry for any inconvenience. We’ll keep you posted if there are any changes to the schedule.

If you are looking for something else to do during this time, why not mail us what you would like to read about on the blog. You know where to mail us!

Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number 13. And today is Friday the 13^th; a day burdened with wicked omens, especially for the Triskaidekaphobics, whose haunted souls have a crippling fear of the unthinkable evil that looms between 12 and 14. So if you get fired from your job today, or smash up your car, you know what to blame it on. An excuse for explaining our inabilities perhaps?

The fifth day of the week and the number 13, both have ominous reputations since prehistoric times. Some people won’t go to work; eat out; many wouldn’t think of setting a wedding on this date. Multistory buildings and hotels have no 13th floor. Airplanes have no 13th aisle. Except the 13th aisle is sitting right behind the 12th, just labeled as 14 to trick you into tranquility or maybe a good laugh at your expense! So where does it come from- the fear of 13?

What is it that made the number so unlucky? Does a mere number really have the power to wreak havoc in our lives? Or is it an easy way to downsize the screw-ups we ourselves are guilty of? If your dread of 13 begins to take over your life, you should seek professional help, says Bonebright. But that can wait until Monday I guess.

The risk of strikes and social unrest has become a reality in India as fuel becomes unaffordable for the common man. The powers that be have failed in their battle to control rising oil prices, risking community objection, elevated taxes and inflation.

The Indian government has been under pressure to raise the price of fuel for months now. India, which imports 70 percent of its oil, increased prices for gasoline, diesel and cooking gas yesterday. But with the government facing elections in a number of states this year, it is a politically detested move they cannot afford.

With prices more than doubling in the past year, the blow is being felt acutely by consumers and businesses alike. In short, there is too much oil money chasing too few goods and services and it is the aam admi who first feels the squeeze from higher fuel prices.

What do you think of the government’s decision to increase the price of gas? Will it encourage people to conserve energy? 

People connect over a lot of things: political affairs, environment, sports and food. But a decade-long boom in technology and gadgets has opened the closet door for many “technosexuals,” if you can call them that. Now people bond over cell phones too! What we’re talking about is a generation that has a need to be in touch with each other at all times. But how necessary is a cell phone? Should cell phones be banned in schools/colleges?

There is no doubt that cell phones are a symbol of a new generation. A Mobile phone has come to be a one stop shop for a camera, mp3 player, torch, maps and computers too! Have a cell phone? Then checking your mail, chatting on messenger, photo blogging and tele- banking are just some of the features the cell phone revolution provides! What about spam/virus taking over the cell phone world? Are cell phones all good, or do they pose any threats?

While Internet use has remained partial to the few and well-educated, entrepreneurs have brought telecommunication to the illiterate poor. The diffusion of the cell phone has been among the fastest of any technology in history of mankind-don’t you think? Are mobile phones a symbol of security, a vehicle of communication, a source of entertainment or just a life style?

How has the cell phone affected your life, Answerers?

So what do we have against chat? Absolutely nothing. Chat away on Yahoo! Messenger or Groups — just not on Answers. We’re not trying to be mean or limit free speech — we just want to maintain the mission of Yahoo! Answers:

Yahoo! Answers connects people to the information they’re seeking with those who know it. Everyone has life experience and knowledge about something, and Yahoo! Answers provides a way for people to share their experience and insight.

Like any other community, we have a core set of principles that must be followed by all members. Some of those core principles are: sharing what you know, being courteous, and asking clear questions. Examples of unacceptable behavior include: ranting, hate speech, cheating, behaving maliciously, and chatting. If you want to participate in Answers, we ask that you abide by the Community Guidelines and Yahoo! Terms of Service.

While chatting seems innocuous in comparison to more-obvious offenses, we discourage it because it doesn’t add to the intent of the site: to share quality knowledge. Answers was never meant to function as a chat room or forum. There are other outlets (like Yahoo! Groups) that are ideal for this type of social networking, and we hope you’ll channel your inner chat into these more-appropriate venues.

Still unsure about what’s considered chat? Here are a few examples to help clear up the confusion:

Chatty: “Do you like my poem?”

Better: “How can I improve my poem?”

Chatty: “Do you like my avatar?”

Better: “How do I make my avatar look more fun or attractive?”

The Guidelines weren’t created as a cloaked attempt to exercise ultimate universal power over Answers members — really. They’re meant to provide commonsense ground rules so we all know what to expect inside the Yahoo! Answers community. That’s not such a bad thing, is it?

Instead of having to report abuse, wouldn’t you much rather see it prevented in the first place?

UPDATE: Just to clarify, it’s fine to be conversational within your actual question or answer.