Monthly Archives: May 2011

Did your question get answered? Pay it forward!

Our mission here at Answers.com is to provide answers to all of your questions. Pretty self-explanatory, right? But with an average of one question asked every two seconds, our small staff can’t possibly keep up. That’s where you come in. Because let’s be honest, 6.4 million heads are better than one. Chances are you’ve been the recipient of a well-written answer from one of your fellow community members. And like magic, that answer was delivered right to your inbox. Pretty cool, huh?

You know what they say, “What goes around comes around.” So why not give back to the community who gave you your answer? The best way to do that is by answering someone else’s query. In other words, pay it forward!

Next time you get an answer to a question, look for the new pay it forward link in your answer update email.

Clicking on it will take you to Answers.com’s most recently asked questions. Scroll through and you’ll probably find something you know the answer to.

Better hurry up though, in the time it took you to read this blog post, there have been about 25 more questions asked!

Summer’s here! Five facts about Memorial Day.

Considered the unofficial kick off to the summer season, Memorial Day is often associated with the beach, barbeques and sales. But there’s much more to this federal holiday than a day off of work.

Memorial Day is held in commemoration of US citizens who have died in war. So before you slather on that sunscreen and head to the pool, take a moment to learn about the rich history of this American holiday.

1. Memorial Day was first held in 1868 when John A. Logan, a general in the Union Army during the Civil War, asked his soldiers to decorate the graves of their fallen compatriots.

2. Memorial Day is also known as Decoration Day, referring to the decorations and flowers placed on the soldiers’ graves.

3. After World War I, the holiday was extended to encompass all Americans who have died in war, not just those in the Civil War.

4. In 2000, President Bill Clinton declared that a moment of silence should be held at 3 p.m. EST each Memorial Day. Official services are held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (pictured at the right) in Arlington, Virginia.

5. Since 1950, by congressional request, Memorial Day is also set aside to pray for permanent peace.

Read more about Memorial Day on Answers.com or ask your own questions in our Memorial Day category. Oh, and have a great summer!

Five inspirational quotes from Oprah Winfrey.

Considered to be the world’s most influential woman, Oprah Winfrey is ending her 25-year reign as the queen of daytime talk television this week. The final Oprah Winfrey show will air today, May 25, 2011. Oprah will then focus on her new cable channel, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

In her quarter century on national TV, Oprah has hosted thousands of guests — from presidents to Michael Jackson — and doled out plenty of wisdom along the way. Here are five examples of  inspirational words from this extraordinary woman:

“Always continue the climb. It is possible for you to do whatever you choose, if you first get to know who you are and are willing to work with a power that is greater than ourselves to do it.“

“I was raised to believe that excellence is the best deterrent to racism and sexism.“

“My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.“

“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.“

“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.“

Read more about Oprah and her life story on Answers.com and ask your own questions here.

Answers takes Manhattan!

Whether in the forums, on the message boards or through email, many of you have interacted with members of our community team. We practically live online but every once in awhile we get together IRL. The team gathered last week for an employee summit in New York City for some meetings and offline fun. Here’s a photo of the whole gang.

We had lots of fun, but the week wasn’t all shenanigans. It was also filled with tons of brainstorming sessions to figure out ways to improve your Answers.com experience. We’re looking forward to sharing those features with you in the coming months!

Some of you might recognize familiar faces in this crowd, but just in case, here’s a list of the some of the amazing community team members.

Our mascot the Orange Guy also tagged along for the trip. Here’s a photo of him enjoying Times Square.

p.s. Do you follow Orange Guy on Facebook? He’s been traveling a lot lately — China, Costa Rica, and of course he was with us last week in the Big Apple!

Just clucking around!

Why did the Bruce cross the road? Nope, it wasn’t to get to the other side. It wasn’t because Colonel Sanders was chasing him. It was penance for his fowl performance bowling last night! No poultry excuses were accepted and Bruce needed to spend the day in this eggtastic costume. Guess we could say he wasn’t very plucky!

We’re just glad he didn’t chicken out so we are able to share our bird’s eye view with you. It’s just another typical day here at Answers.com New York!

See a good answer? Click recommend!

If you’re an active Answers.com contributor, you no doubt know about trust points. Given by fellow users, a trust point is a virtual pat on the back for a good contribution. It shows that you recommend that user for good answers and trust them to make good edits in the future.

Currently, to give a user a trust point, you can click “recommend” on any answer they’ve edited, or directly on that user’s profile page. But recently we introduced a new way to recommend a user — straight from your answer update emails. Answer update emails are generated when questions on your watchlist are edited. If you see a good contribution, go ahead and click recommend!

Contributors are then notified by email when they receive a trust point. Don’t worry though, your user name is not included in this email. Here’s what that “Hats off – you’ve been recommended!” email looks like:

Trust points are listed next to each contributor’s user name. For example: JohnDoe (5) has five trust points. A couple more tips: You can only give a user one trust point and you cannot subtract trust points. Next time you see a great answer, don’t be afraid to let your fellow contributor know you trust them!

Luvhistory2010 is Blazin’ Trails on Answers.com.

Like an early pioneer headed out west, our Featured Contributor – Luvhistory2010 – has been busy clearing paths and forging ahead on Answers.com. Her contributions, charismatic attitude and overall presence in the community are remarkable and humbling. When asked how and when she discovered Answers.com, Luvhistory2010 reported: “I actually discovered Answers.com quite a while before I joined. I think I typed a question into Google and Answers.com was one of the first search results to come up. When I finally joined it was to clean up grammar errors I saw that I just couldn’t let go. Within weeks or maybe a month or so, I was a Supervisor and the rest, as they say, is history.”

Let’s find out more!

Do you have any pets?

I don’t have any pets at the moment. My cat passed away on Valentine’s Day and it is too soon in the grieving process for me to get another one. I would like to get a cat or kitten at some point in the near future though. I’d love to have a long-haired cat. They are more work, yes, but they are oh so beautiful!

Where did you grow up and do you have any special memories of your childhood?

Most of my special memories are of the summer days spent with my grandmother. Those memories are all the more special to me now since Nanny (that’s what we called her) passed away in October. Both of my parents worked and so Nanny was my babysitter and a good one she was. I loved spending time at her house and I can safely say that she loved having me.

What educational information would you like to share?

I have an Associates degree from Columbus State Community College and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Ohio State University.

What are your key areas of knowledge, interests or expertise?

I love history, early American history and military history being my key areas of interest. I also love animals. My favorite class my senior year of high school was zoology. I remember we had to make identification cards with different animals from different generas on them. Art is admittedly not my forte (my brother got those genes) but I enjoyed making those cards immensely. Fair warning to all who read this, I love being asked questions about animals and once you get me started, it’s a little tough to get me to stop. lol I also love Ohio State football, cats and spending time with friends and family.

Do you have any collections or hobbies?

Books! I love books and I love to read and re-read them. My collection seems to be ever growing but unfortunately the amount of space I have to put them is not. I have learned, out of necessity, to limit the number of times I allow myself to go into a bookstore because undoubtedly I will leave with at least one new book every time I go. I also love music. My MP3 player gets good use, believe me. Music tends to keep me going during the day and will sometimes bring me up if I’m feeling down. And, of course, Answers.com. I had no idea how addicting the site would be when I joined but it’s a good addiction. :)

What are a few random facts about yourself?

I am the youngest child to my parents (my brother is ten and a half years my senior) and was (I say “was” because all of my grandparents have passed on) the youngest grandchild to both sets of grandparents. There are definite advantages to being the “baby.” ;) I used to be afraid of cats believe it or not and I have always had a fear of dogs. The fear of cats went away pretty quickly but the fear of dogs is still there although it’s gotten much, much better as I’ve gotten older. It only rears its ugly head when I encounter a loose dog I do not know. Otherwise, I’m fine and I’ve actually learned to like dogs, particularly the larger breeds. I also enjoy doing meticulous things, like for instance, untangling tangled Christmas tree lights. I know, odd.

What accomplishments are you proud of?

I have a BA in history from the Ohio State University. I had wanted to attend Ohio State from the time I was a child and knew I wanted to go to college. After spending four years at a local community college, that dream was finally realized when I started attending classes at OSU in fall of 2008. My first week or so on campus I kept thinking, “You’re actually here! You’re actually realizing this dream!” I graduated (finally!) in spring of 2010 and I was immensely proud of myself for finally making it that far.

How would you describe yourself or personality?

The first word that came to mind when I read this question was tall. lol I am 5’11″ which is pretty tall for a woman in my family. Many of my female family members are under 5’5″ so I tower over them. I enjoy being tall; I always have. As far as my personality goes, I would describe myself as quiet and reserved until you get to know me and then I can be outgoing and silly. The first thing that most of my friends and family say when asked to describe my personality is that I am “sweet.” I am also compassionate and I love, love, love to help others if I can.

What is your favorite Answers.com activity?

I enjoy doing a few different things. I like answering questions in some of the categories I supervise, especially Taxonomy, I enjoy unflagging questions flagged by DingoBot in the categories I supervise and I enjoy recategorizing questions. Oh, I also enjoy correcting spelling and grammar in questions I find in Recent Site Activity.

Mother’s Day Gifts: It’s the thought that counts.

If there ever was a holiday to not forget, it’s Mother’s Day. But sometimes it can feel overwhelming to think about giving a gift to someone so important. How do you celebrate the woman who gave you life? Our Answers.com contributors have some ideas for you. Check out the answers to these Mother’s Day questions:

And remember, you don’t have to buy something material. Take this advice from Answers.com contributor and employee, Myra:

“I never understood, as a kid, why my mom would get choked up when I made her a homemade card. Now that I am a mom myself, I finally get it. It sounds cliche, but it really is the thought that counts. Just let her know you appreciate her.” – Myra, our WikiAnswers Associate Quality Coordinator (and mother of two)

If you’re still looking for more gift ideas, watch this clip from the Video Answers library for some inspiration. Then let us know in the comments how you celebrated your Mom this year!

6 human anatomical parts named after people

It’s one thing to have a building or bridge named after you. But a body part? Pretty sweet. Check out these six body parts named after people:

1. Fallopian Tube

Named after Italian anatomist Gabriele Falloppio.

2. Sideburns

Named after American Civil War Union General Ambrose Burnside.

3. G-Spot

Named after German-born physician Ernst Gräfenberg.

4. Achilles tendon

Named after Greek mythological character Achilles.

5. Cowper’s gland

Named after anatomist William Cowper.

6. Adam’s apple

Named after Adam of the Bible.

Check out the full list at Answers.com.

The Dynamo Known As Deb.

Our Featured Contributor this week has a name you will surely recognize. Does Deb ring any bells? Ding, ding, ding! One of Answers.com amazing Community Assistants, Deb has been with the site for a long, loooong time – since the days when a pig graced our homepage and starting a new topic area was called seeding. Remember FAQ Farm anyone? Me moo! Looking back over the years, if there is one person who has had a profound impact on all the good things you see on the site today, it’s Deb. So to you, Deb, a big THANKS for being an all-around wonderful human being and for helping to guide Answers.com into the Q&A community it is today. Here’s more on the dynamo known as Deb…

What is your user name on Answers.com?

Deb

How did you first learn about the site? When?

We were having some problems with a vehicle. A Google search took us to FAQ Farm, where we asked a question. While we were waiting for it to be answered, I started going through the recent questions and rewording them, answered some questions and became totally hooked. That was in April of 2006.

What is your role on Answers.com and what does it entail?

I’m a Community Assistant and work on the quality of the site. Though I do a lot of different things, my time is spent mainly on merge requests and answering emails from users asking that a trashed question be put back in a category.

What is your favorite activity on the site? Least favorite?

It’s impossible for me to pick out a favorite activity I enjoy doing just about everything on the site. My least favorite is featuring questions when the list is low. I always seem to have trouble finding ones I think should be featured.

Do you have a favorite category? Most despised category?

My favorite category is Gardening, especially Organic Gardening, Flowers, Fruits and Vegetables and Herbs.

I don’t really have one that I despise, but I do find questions that really get to me.

Name one thing not many people know about you.

I played the flute in school. I still do every now and then, but it’s only for my own enjoyment.

What is your concept of a fruitful day?

Having all the merge requests and good question emails caught up and spending my time on other things.

Who was your favorite teacher and why?

I absolutely loved my biology teacher in college. She said on the first day of class that no one would get an A in the class, and I learned why. She was tough, but she was straightforward and fair, too. I ended up getting an A, but I had to study for hours and hours to get it. I even recorded her lectures and recopied my notes!

Announcing: New and improved fan badges!

Could your Answers.com profile use some sprucing? Do you want to share your Answers pride elsewhere on the interwebs? Then you gotta check out our newly designed, fresh off the presses, fan badges! Our graphic designer, Denise, has outdone herself again. Sleek shapes, bright colors, quirky characters — it might be impossible to pick just one!

Grab the code for your favorite badge here. Then go ahead, don’t be shy. Stick them on your profile page, stick them on your blog, stick them on your best friend’s sister’s boyfriend’s dog!

The code for the badges is set up to link to the Answers.com homepage. But should you want to drive traffic to those amazing answers of yours, you can link directly to your profile page from the badge. Find out how here. You wouldn’t want all your wiki work to go unnoticed now, would you?

Need help adding images to your profile page? Check out the answer to How do you add photos or images to your Answers.com profile? for step-by-step instructions. Here are a few of the new designs. Click on over to our fan badge page to see (and collect!) all seven.