Yahoo! India Answers blog

Photo Courtesy: Kkalyan on Flickr

Share your happiness and spread the light.

Participate in the Diwali Dhamaka on Answers. Answer the three questions below and if your answer is selected as the best answer win 500 points for each best answer!

How do you celebrate Diwali in your state?

Photo Courtesy: Cprogrammer on Flickr

Each state in India has a different way of sharing happiness and spreading the light that Diwali brings. In Karnataka, Diwali traditionally begins a day prior to the festival with the ‘Neer thumbo habba’ literally ‘water-filling day’. The idea is to scrub and wash your bathrooms and fill tanks with water. In olden days when there were water tanks in the bathrooms, this was a way of ensuring hygiene and cleanliness and symbolised filling one’s home with wealth. Once this was done, the lady of the house lit a lamp in the bathroom and prayed to the house-hold Gods as the others clapped their hands or beat drums. She would then distribute sweets to the family. The next morning, the day of Diwali begins before sunrise with an oil massage and bath. The family then pray to the Gods, wear their new clothes and go out to burst the first cracker of the day that heralds the beginning of Diwali.

As a child, my favourite custom was the bursting of that first cracker. And my father always ensured I was the one to light the cracker that then boomed loudly and woke the neighbourhood. It somehow made me feel important and brave. I’m sure you have a similar favourite custom. How do you celebrate Diwali in your state? What are the customs you like the most and why? What is the best part of Diwali for you?

Do you have any tips for decorating one’s house for Diwali?

Photo Courtesy: Siddhu 2020 on Flickr

Floating candles, floral carpets, twinkling diyas (lights), all contribute to making your house more beautiful on Diwali. Now that we no longer burst crackers in my family, I tend to go slightly crazy with the number of lights and candles I light to celebrate this beautiful festival. I knew a neighbour who made her own colourful candles and placed them strategically to enhance the beauty of her home. Flower garlands also add to the festivity and cheer. Do you have other ideas? How do you decorate your house for Diwali? Share them with other Answerers.

How can you celebrate Diwali and still be animal and environment friendly?

Photo Courtesy: Shubharnab on Flickr

After reading about pollution in school and the reports that newspapers carried post Diwali, about how bursting crackers had adversely influenced the environment, I decided not to burst crackers anymore. It was by no means a happy decision because I love to burst crackers. Bursting crackers was a community thing. It was a great way of having fun with my neighbours and friends. But it had to be done. And while I still feel a pang at not bursting crackers, I’m quite glad that I decided not to. So now we have parties with delightful food and drinks and spend the night talking and may be dancing. Some of my friends also play cards through the night. So we are still having fun and Diwali is still a favourite festival but it’s not at the cost of the environment. Do you have a fun way of celebrating the festival that doesn’t involve bursting too many crackers that not only scare animals and small children in your neighbourhood but are also very harmful to the environment?

So go on and share your answers and tips and memories!

And of course, a very Happy Diwali to all of you!

Stay happy and safe.

- Bhumika Anand

Community Manager

On the auspicious month of the Navaratri that venerates the Goddess we celebrated womanhood in all its essence on Yahoo! India Answers. We dedicated this month to all the bright and beautiful women who use Answers.

And it was so heartening to see that women in India are revered and adored just as our old Sanskrit texts advised us to do. And before you say, where’s the proof, here I have it.

We posted four questions on Answers that did superbly well.

Our first question was intended to gauge the psychology of woman (if that were possible) by seeing what it is that makes a woman happy. This was also posted in the hope that more women could be inspired by this and find more things they could do to make themselves happy. While many spoke about a loving family, having an accomplished day at work, or seeing the smile of a loved one, the best answer to What makes a woman happy? was by our Top Contributor The gentle one who claims to have lived with a woman for close to 50 years and is still in love with the smell of his woman.
The smell of her lover– when newly married or living-in together.
The smell of her baby— when a new mother.
The joy of seeing success of her child at school– as a mother.
The happiness of her own achievements at home, at work, at parties— as a woman achiever.
The warm feeling that her lover / hubby CARES…. as a woman.
The warm memories of his love-making……….as a woman.
The satisfaction of feeling that ALL IS WELL………..despite hundreds of obstacles.

And a better gauge of happiness than that we can’t find!

Our next question was pertaining to the modern woman’s health: What are the health perils a woman faces in today’s world? What can she do to stay healthy?

Spiritual Seeker gave us the best answer by saying -

Yes! The clue is in the question itself! Changing life styles (additional portfolios), stressful relationships (lack of mutual trust, due to heavy contribution by situation), improper diet (no time to cook, pick the right kind of food), lack of exercise (multitasker mask snatching away precious time space for self)! The family that benefits from the woman who takes up these additional tasks, has to consciously share the task of minimizing health perils. The woman herself has to take into trust her family and extend the first step towards mutual sharing. Frank discussion must take place giving priority to seemingly small factors, which affect the health over a period of time. The woman must acknowledge the enormity of additional loads involved in terms of stress, health etc, and explore areas where there can be massive support from family members, colleagues at work, friends and relatives near and far too. The traditional outlook, viewpoint, opinion, inclination, etc has to become flexible to suit the needs around, without compromising the intrinsic values. Staying healthy for present day woman is not ‘just exclusively’ her own concern, her own task, her own responsibility. It has to be recognized as a family’s joint and team effort. The benefits are reciprocal, and always towards a win-win situation. Physiologically, the present day stressful situation targets the very strong point(traditionally held as strength) of a woman, emotions.

What tips would you give a woman that will enable her to save her money?
This, our third question, received 12 stars and 116 answers!
Clearly choosing the best answer for this one was a tough decision. But a tip by Seth Hunter that was both practical and extremely do-able decided us. Seth Hunter says, ‘Something that I always recommend to people trying to save some money is to start an excel spreadsheet and in it detail everything you purchase for 6 months and the purchase price. Break items down so you can see in your grocery receipt what you actually bought ie (junk food or veg). By doing this for 6 months you will be shocked as to where your money goes. Most people tell me they know how they spend their money until they do this and get their eyes opened. If you think about the small things such as a coffee a day, it costs you $3. After 6 months saying you buy one coffee a day you would spend $547.50.
I know this is a pain to do and most people I recommend it to will never do it but it is one of the best tools you have available. Hope this info helps. There is an abundance of business info avaliable at www.sensiblebusiness.ca’.

In the Beauty and Style section we’ve often seen women asking for tips to enhance their beauty. So this question was to ascertain what it was that made a woman truly beautiful. What makes a woman truly beautiful? How can a woman enhance her beauty?

Kerr! summed it up really well – Beauty is only on the inside. If a woman is beautiful on the inside, a woman is beautiful everywhere. Just keep yourself clean and healthy. You don’t need to overdo it with the make up, some people only do this to make themselves feel better about their insecurities, and sometimes they resort to making others feel worse about their insecurities. That proves the theory that beauty is only skin deep for some people.

And so we’d like to thank all the Answerers for their contribution and tips that helped us celebrate womanhood on Answers so well through the month of October.

Did you like the campaign? Do you have any advice to share? Leave us a comment.

- Bhumika Anand

Community Manager

When you are in a supermarket you’d be frustrated if someone put a `place-holder` down at the till and then went to do their shopping before `jumping the queue` as they had a placeholder.

Well, in a similar way we hear one of your frustrations on providing answers to the site is when people `place-hold` a position and use edit to provide a later answer, or to copy an answer from someone else.  We feel this is unfair to misuse Answers like this and have now added a timestamp to show that someone has edited their answer.  To make it fairer to others who spend time writing their answer in full before posting we will now re-order all edited answers to what is the latest position at time of editing.

Why can’t we just show the edits? We don’t have a logical place where we can show how an answer has changed over time and things like highlighting changes with a different colour are quite difficult to show in a way that someone new to answers will understand. We also don’t want to prevent editing like we do currently on the question details as that will prevent you from fixing things like spelling mistakes.

Now we know it can be frustrating if you just want to make one small spelling correction but this is why you are given the opportunity to preview your answer, as per when you ask a question. If you find you are often editing after you answer, it may be worth using the preview just to have one last check before you submit.

Finally, we are going to monitor this change. If we find it does have a detrimental effect, then we may consider making further changes in the future.

- Y!AT

Have you ever wondered to yourself, “If only I had Yahoo! Answers right now… I could find out the answer to my question?” Now, the wait is officially over!

We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve created a brand new mobile site and it’s ready for you to use. Everything you love about Yahoo! Answers is now available on-the-go.

Will it work on my phone?

The new mobile-optimized version of Yahoo! Answers makes it easy for you to keep track of points, open questions, and stay on top of what people are asking wherever and whenever the mood grabs you. Our new mobile site will work with most phones but you’ll see it at its very best on the newest phones, such as iPhone, Android and the latest Blackberrys.

What does it do?

With Yahoo! Answers optimized for mobile, you can:

• Ask, Answer, and Discover questions as you would on the PC
• Vote and select a best answer
• Easily access your profile, points, and open questions to check on your activity
• Check out new open questions being asked every second
• Rack up more points when you’re out and about

See it in action

We’ve put together this short video, to show you why we’re so excited…

We hope you’re as excited about the mobile version of Yahoo! Answers as we are. Give it a try today!

October is the month of the pink ribbon.

Photo Courtesy Elisabeth Augusta on Flickr

In fact, I myself have worn the pink ribbon proudly as I know many women who have been afflicted with breast cancer. Some of them bounced back to life after surgery or treatment and a few others succumbed to the disease.

So when I decided to write a blog post about breast cancer, I was absolutely certain that it would take me less than ten minutes to do so. After all, I knew stories about all these women. And I thought I was mighty pink because as a woman I knew how to protect myself. Right?

Wrong. As I started to write this post, I realized how little I actually knew about this deadly disease though it had touched my life often enough, albeit indirectly.

Worldwide, breast cancer comprises 10.4% of all cancer incidence among women, making it the most common type of non-skin cancer in women and the fifth most common cause of cancer death. This explains the number of awareness campaigns about breast cancer during the month of October.

And yet I was finding it difficult to write about breast cancer. So I decided to take a look at Answers.

It was no surprise that I found a list of commonly asked questions about breast cancer. I decided to post these questions so it could help men and women like me who know about breast cancer but are hardly aware of the facts relating to the disease.

Six links to save a life!

Understand this cancer better so you can treat it on time if need be!

How does breast cancer develop in women and what are the preventive measures for it?

What are the symptoms of breast cancer and what are the consequences?

What kind of tests or examinations should be done for breast cancer?

Do people with breast cancer have to get their breasts cut off?

How long can you live with untreated breast cancer and have no symptoms?

How common is it to get breast cancer when you are a teenager?

Four typical doubts about preventing and treating breast cancer

Is it true that deodorants can cause breast cancer in women?

Can I get breast cancer if I sleep wearing my bra?

Are there any Ayurvedic treatments for breast cancer?

How exactly does breast feeding lower the risk of breast cancer?

Other useful links to understand breast cancer better

• I may have breast cancer, what questions should I ask my doctor?
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast_cancer

And here’s how you can help people with breast cancer.

So do you have a breast cancer story? Is there some knowledge about breast cancer you would like to share? Do send us your story (y_answrs_india@yahoo.co.in) or leave us a comment.

Concerned about women’s health? Changing life-styles, stressful relationships, improper diet, lack of exercise – there are many things that cause a woman’s health to suffer, particularly, in today’s world. As we spread awareness on breast cancer on Answers, we would also like Answerers to consider other illnesses that might be equally life-threatening. What can a woman do to stay healthy in spite of her circumstances? Let’s celebrate womanhood this October.

Answer this question: What are the health perils a woman faces in today’s world? What can she do to stay healthy?

Go pink!

Bhumika Anand

Community Manager

Yatra naryante pujyante
Ramante tatra Devta!

Where the women are adored or worshipped, there dwells God. Our culture teaches us to revere women.

Photo courtesy orange tuesday on Flickr

On Yahoo! India Answers, this auspicious month of the Navaratri that venerates the Goddess will celebrate womanhood in all its essence.

We have found that today’s woman on Answers is everything. She is curious, clever, and concerned about things that affect her life and the larger world.

Sometimes, she’s a young girl wondering how best to make herself look good, a young woman wondering how to solve people issues at work, a mother wondering if her way of rearing her child is best for the child, or a woman concerned about her health.

She is also the wise woman giving advice on health-care, childcare, and redecorating spaces. She can also suggest what is the best laptop to buy or why an Android phone is better than an i-phone. She is someone who philosophises on life and is concerned about the way events shape our world.

We dedicate this month to all these bright and beautiful women who use Yahoo! India Answers. You will find something related to women across all the categories we have on Answers.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that our male users need to feel left out. Needless to say, most of the content that we plan to feature will also benefit men hugely. Like the first question we are posting this week that is actually dedicated to women but will help the men too!

What makes a woman happy?

If you are a man, this perennial question can help you understand the psyche of a woman. And if you are a woman, there is a possibility that you can find newer things to make you happy.

Be it a long, luxurious shower; buying a new gadget; having an accomplished day at work; or seeing the smile of a loved one, tell us what it is that makes you absolutely blissful. Let’s celebrate womanhood this October!

So don’t forget to tell us what makes you happy. Answer away or leave us a comment.

And always remember what L’Oréal says, “Because you’re worth it.” So smile and shine and bring out the Goddess in you.

Happy Navaratri!

Bhumika Anand

Community Manager

In August, we did a special initiative in the Travel category where we invited you to share your fondest memories of landscapes, cityscapes, seascapes and skyscapes through your travel stories and anecdotes.

Spread over four weeks, with each week catering to one particular theme, this initiative showcased the best holiday destinations and the most awesome travel stories that came from you!

The four questions we asked on each category received plenty of really great responses. So we’d like to thank you all for your responses to this initiative as we announce the winners of each question whose best answer won 200 bonus points.

Our first question was about landscapes – What was your most picturesque and idyllic holiday in the countryside?. This question received 50 responses!.

Our next question was What was your most memorable beach or seaside holiday?

Do you have a special travel story about air travel or an unforgettable skyscape you have experienced? gave us a hair-raising on board experience.

Our last question, What was your best memory in a foreign city? Why was it so memorable? received 18 responses!.

Congratulations, winners!

Read all the winning stories here.

Did you enjoy this initiative? Leave us a comment.

And once again, thank you all for making this Travel initiative a success!

And if you are inspired enough by this and are preparing to set off somewhere anytime soon, Bon Voyage!

- Bhumika Anand

Community Manager

You could call it one of the most colourful festivals from the South of India. And the most fun. It certainly is the biggest festival in the state of Kerala.

Onam marks the homecoming of the legendary King Mahabali beloved of all his subjects.

In pre-historic times, it is said that Mahabali was such an excellent ruler that the Gods in the Indian pantheon particularly King Indra felt insecure about his rising popularity and prosperity. The Gods begged Lord Vishnu to kill Mahabali who appeared in his Brahmin dwarf  (the Vamana) avatar and begged for alms from this great king and tricked him to the underworld.

Photo courtesy: Shantih on Flickr.

But the Lord Vishnu also blessed Mahabali as he was one of Vishnu’s greatest devotees. Hence Mahabali is allowed to visit his people in Kerala on an annual basis.

The festival lasts for ten days.

Characteristic Onam celebrations include the traditional pookolams (intricate flower carpets), the Onam sadya (an elaborate banquet lunch), Vallamkali (snake boat races) and kaikottikkali (dances that women of the house-hold indulge in) during the ten day festival.

Photo courtesy: George Augustin e on Flickr.

Photo courtesy: Arun Kumar Sinha on Flickr.

What makes this festival truly unique is how it brings about secular sentiments within the state. Although the festival of Onam originated as a Hindu festival, all communities in Kerala including Muslims and Christians celebrate Onam with equal fervour.

Needless to say, we couldn’t let this festival pass by without any comment. I’m sure most Indians have a favourite memory associated with this festival.

What is your most favourite Onam memory?

Answer us or leave us a comment here.

Photo courtesy: Raj_nair81 on Flickr

And of course, Happy Onam!

Bhumika Anand

- Community Manager

To continue improving your Yahoo! Answers experience we are introducing a few small changes this week…

Changing time to choose a Best Answer

Based on your feedback to be able to resolve a question quicker, we have now reduced the wait time to choose a best answer from 4 hours to 1 hour.  If you now receive multiple responses within an hour you can select one of those as your Best Answer, or choose to put the question to vote at this earlier stage.

The full lifecycle of a question won’t change – questions will still be open for 4 days and up to maximum of 8 days if you extend the expiration.  This change gives you the option to resolve earlier or put to vote earlier.   If you take no action to resolve or extend the question, the question will automatically go to vote for the Best Answer.

Optional Preview screen when answering questions

Many of you have commented that to you’d prefer an answering experience without having to see your response on the Preview page first.

If you are signed-in with your Answers account and have answered at least one question before then when submitting your answer you can choose to Submit your response immediately without going to the Preview page first.  We’ve kept the Preview page too, so you can still see how your response will look before publishing it.

What makes Yahoo! Answers unique is the avid involvement of the community it is YOU that provides the content so continue to ask, answer and vote!

Have something to say about the changes, leave us a comment.

It’s August and whether you are planning a holiday to some great, exotic locale or are just back from one, Answers is the place to celebrate your vacation! This August we are doing a special initiative in the Travel category where we invite you to share your fondest memories of landscapes, cityscapes, seascapes, and skyscapes through your travel stories and anecdotes.

Spread over four weeks, with each week catering to one particular theme, this initiative will showcase the best holiday destinations and the most awesome travel stories that come from you! So start working on that travelogue of yours and include details like places to stay, things to see, best shopping deals and the like. And don’t forget to tell us why it is among your favourite holiday destinations! We’ll be awarding 50 bonus points for the best story each week.

Not only that, we invite you to share your favourite photograph of the vacation on one of these Flickr groups:

-         Landscape group  http://www.flickr.com/groups/100naturallandscapes/

-          Cityscape group  http://www.flickr.com/groups/26328425@N00/

-          Seascape group  http://www.flickr.com/groups/seascape/

-          Skyscape group http://www.flickr.com/groups/98509261@N00/

Photographs courtesy Anbujawahar

Once you post your picture there, remember to leave us a comment with the Flickr link on the blog, or add the link in your answer. At the end of four weeks, your story and photograph could be featured on our blog or as part of an exclusive article on Yahoo!

And here are 5 steps to ensure your Flickr photo makes it to the contest:

1. Log in to http://www.flickr.com/
2. Sign up for Flickr with your Yahoo! id if you don’t have a Flickr account already
3. Join the Groups (whose links are mentioned above)
4. Upload your Travel photos there
5. Copy the link of your photo and use that in your answer!

This week’s question is about dreamy landscapes. Meadows full of flowers and green grass, a winding river, a roaring waterfall, awe-inspiring mountains, or endless deserts – what landscape inspired you the most and made for an unforgettable holiday? What was your most picturesque and idyllic holiday on land?

Share your story and get featured on Yahoo!