Yahoo! Canada Answers Blog

The experience of putting a question to the community and seeing the answers flowing to your inbox is gratifying. 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 flounderings, 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 the best recipe for deep-fried cheesecake, the difference between precipitation and condensation or the best advice for travelling by car with a dog, why not take a moment to help the community out?
Yahoo! Canada Answers Team

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So much of our lives are spent worrying about what is going on in other countries through news of elections, wars and stocks. But on July 1^st, all my thoughts are going to be red and white for a day.

On Canada Day, we can all celebrate what brings us together instead of worrying about our heritage, language and religion. We all love Canada and that should be good enough. We can show off all those crazy stereotypes that make us one of the best countries in the world.

No matter how much we complain about our cold winters and short summers, this is a pretty amazing country to live in. I’ve decided that I want to try to spend Canada Day watching the fireworks in a different city each year, so that I will be able to see more of this country.

Because our country is so multicultural, it can sometime be hard to define who we are. Whether you think of poutine, beer or hockey, there is definitely something connecting us all that make us proud of our country.

Join us in celebrating our Canadian culture by telling our Yahoo! Canada Editors what being a Canadian means to you.

Happy Canada Day!
Stephanie

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Flickr photo by Dmitry Kichenko

Honestly, I am not much of a summer person. I like it that it is sunny and the days are longer, sure. But I don’t do well in the heat and humidity. That said, a LOT of people are summer people and I am glad for that. People become so much happier at the mere mention of the word.

Whether you love it or hate it, summer is officially here. It’s time to strip yourself of warm layers of clothing and squish your toes in the sand or lay in a park under a tree. I have to admit, there is so much more to do in the summer because we Canadians don’t have to worry about frostbite any longer! We can finally put those patios, boats and cottages to use.

While I might not love the intense heat, there are still a lot of things I would love to get done before we get hit with extreme cold alerts again. I hope I get a chance to go camping or at least to spend the afternoon on a beach somewhere, relaxing with a book and a Frisbee. I really want to get out of my city and see a place that I haven’t been to before.

I would also like to explore my own hometown while it is nice out. Photography is one of my hobbies, so getting out with a camera on a warm day to find little niches and areas that I usually ignore would be great fun. I could feel like a tourist at home for a day.

If it gets too hot, there is always my favourite retreat from the heat, the movie theatre. With blockbusters like The Dark Knight and The Pineapple Express coming out in the middle of summer, I can enjoy their AC with a big bag of popcorn.

So enjoy the sun, while I suffer without air conditioning! What’s your favourite / least favourite thing about summer?

Stephanie

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The Yahoo! Answers engineers are scheduled to perform regular maintenance on Thursday, June 19, starting at 02.00 a.m. ET.

We expect the work to last about 2½ hours and there will be a total outage on Yahoo! Canada Answers during this time.

We’re sorry for any inconvenience, and will 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 check out some of our new and updated sites?

* Flickr (now with video!)
* Yahoo! Canada Travel
* Yahoo! Canada Music
* Yahoo! Canada Video

Or, maybe you can check out what’s on the tube or what’s in store for your future?

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Flickr photo by Eszter

We’ve been so busy, we almost forgot it’s our birthday! Two years ago in June, curious Canadians found a place to get all their questions answered, and we have definitely come a long way since our humble beginnings. As I write this, we have nearly 650,000 closed questions on Yahoo! Canada Answers — hopefully we can get to a million before our next b-day. So keep on voting!

We have made some great friends on our top contributors board over the past two years. Our number 1 contributor in Canada, bgee2001ca, has over 6,000 Best Answers and can help you get up to date on anything you need to know aboutnews and current events. The rest of our TC’s are experts in everything from dogs to cooking to video games. Their expertise is what has made Yahoo! Canada Answers such a great place to be. I love knowing I can get useful info about everything from buying a new computer to caring for my kitten quickly here.

We’ve also made some great friends in our celebrity Askers. We’ve been proud to work with some awesome well-known Canadian faces over the past year, including The Hour host George Stroumboulopoulos, music historian Alan Cross, Kids in the Hall alum Scott Thompson and Barenaked Ladies lead singer Steven Page.

Although Yahoo! Canada Answers is in its “terrible twos” now, we promise not to throw tantrums — although we may need the odd nap or time-out from time to time, in order to make improvements and implement new features that we hope you’ll enjoy. Stay tuned!

Thank you to all our Askers and Answerers for being with us over the past two years!

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Flickr photo by Goldring

It seems to me that fathers get the short end of the stick around this time of year. No one gets all fussy over what to buy their dad for Father’s Day or where to find Father’s Day brunch on the 15th of June.

Mom may have birthed you, but we cannot forget to honour the man in our life who is there to guide us, protect us and teach us right from wrong. Father’s Day is a great time to get a little more creative with your presents for Dad.

Dad may not be all mushy like Mom, but that doesn’t mean he loves you any less. Let’s make sure he gets the recognition he deserves. As I look for a picture of dads to go with this blog, I realize that the word “Dad” has some very strong themes, no matter where you are in the world. Dads are strong and brave. They are also fun and a little silly at times. They can inspire us and push us to do thing even if they don’t say anything. They show us their love all the time, even if it’s not in a hugs-and-kisses way.

So let’s get Dad something he will actually use or appreciate. Why not get outside and throw a ball around like you used to when you were younger? Or get him something for all those barbeques he makes during the summer. Add to his collection of books or antiques. Just make sure he gets the appreciation he deserves, because sometimes Dads in general can get a bad rep.

Here at Yahoo! Canada Answers, we are helping you remember how great your Dad is by asking, What’s the best advice your father gave you?

Stephanie

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Flickr photo by Qole Pejorian

So last week I went shopping for a new bathing suit and it was the usual hideous experience. I completely bypassed the racks and racks of bikinis without a backward glance — my bare midriff is not something I want to inflict on an unsuspecting public.

Moving on to the one-pieces, I found suits that addressed various “problem” areas. One had material gathered at the waist to disguise a less-than-flat belly. Another was cut higher up on the thigh to elongate the look of the leg. Necklines were scooped, V-necked, or halter-style to enlarge or reduce the bust. Backs dipped low or rose higher up to cover any back fat. Hmmm … was there a single suit that combined all these flaw fixers? I found myself desperately hoping Victorian bloomers would come back in style.

After stretching down and pulling up the sausage-casing-like contenders in the dressing room, I did finally find the perfect suit—not too revealing and not too matronly. You see, I have a no-fail selection system worked out after all these years: After trying on 100 or so swimsuits, the one that doesn’t make me cry when I look in the mirror is the one I buy!

OK, so it wasn’t all that bad. But seriously, shopping for a bathing suit can be disheartening for a lot of us. It’s probably also a springboard into trying the latest fad diet to lose a quick 10 pounds. Not a good idea. Instead, we should let the whole sorry experience motivate us to adopt a healthier lifestyle all year long — not just the week before we try on suits. And who knows? If I stick to my gym workouts, maybe there’s an “itsy bitsy, teenie weenie, yellow polka dot bikini” in my future.

Nah.

Does the thought of shopping for a new bathing suit give you the heebie-jeebies? Any suggestions for making it a stress-free expedition?

Mitzi

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Flickr photo by Daniel Rodrigues Gomes

Today is another day devoted to going green and saving the earth. This time, it is the United Nations’ change their way of thinking.

As part of World Environment Day, Yahoo! Canada Answers is pleased to have journalist Alan Weisman, author of the international best-seller The World Without Us, ask a question. The World Without Us is a fascinating vision of what would happen to the earth if humans suddenly disappeared. Alan’s question focuses on another aspect of human extinction, namely the knowledge that any species that outstrips its resources will become extinct. Humans have certainly stretched our own resource base, with alarming consequences for the planet. Alan asks how can we best bring humanity into balance with the rest of nature, as opposed to in mortal combat with it?
The UN is focusing World Environment Day on reducing greenhouse gases. That is a task that is mainly in the hands of big business, but each person must do his or her part. Talking about saving energy and green products may not seem to accomplish much, but if you could get your whole neighbourhood talking, imagine the possibilities.
Businesses sometimes need an extra push to go green, because doing things the old-fashioned way is easier. If we all refuse to buy things that have lots of packaging, though, it may force these companies to think about the extra waste they are creating.
If public transit and bike paths in your community are in shambles, take your complaint to city hall. With the price of gas rising every day, an efficient transit system can help the whole city. Bike paths will not only save you cash, but give you that work-out you have been meaning to do since New Year’s.
We know it’s not feasible for everyone to install solar panels at your house, but unplugging things isn’t so hard. If we all change our ways and shape up, maybe “green” and “environmentally-friendly” will no longer be buzzwords kept aside for specific days, but just something we all are in our everyday lives.
Stephanie

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Flickr photo by kaibara87

I don’t know about you, but now that the weather is nicer it’s hard for me to get through a day of work without looking out the window at the happy people sunbathing. Knowing I am stuck inside makes the afternoon drag on and my energy level drop.

So how can I get that necessary afternoon boost? First, I think I should probably start off with a better breakfast. Although my bagel and cream cheese tastes good, switching to something healthier will keep my energy up longer. The same probably goes for my afternoon snack. I know that the sweets only give me a temporary sugar high, so switching to something healthy will give me a longer-lasting boost. Bringing my own snacks will also keep me from spending unnecessary money at the vending machine.

I know a lot of people who turn to energy drinks when they need a pick-me-up, but I don’t really like the taste. I am definitely a coffee addict, though. I need my afternoon brew to get me through the day. I feel horrible, though, that I depend on the caffeine to keep me awake some days.

It seems so easy when you read people’s suggestions. Eat well and get up and do some exercise, and the afternoon will be a breeze, but it sure doesn’t feel that way sometimes. Here’s to all of us feeling a little more energetic on those long summer workdays!

Stephanie

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What do we have against chat? Absolutely nothing. Chat away on Yahoo! Canada 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! Canada Answers:

Answers connects people to the information they’re seeking with those who know it. Everyone has life experience and knowledge about something, and 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 behaviour include: ranting, hate speech, cheating, behaving maliciously and chatting. If you want to participate in Answers, we ask that you abide by the Yahoo! Canada Community Guidelines and Yahoo! Canada 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! Canada Groups) that are ideal for this type of social networking, and we hope you’ll channel your inner chat into these more appropriate venues.

Just to clarify, it’s fine to be conversational within your actual question or answer. But if you’re 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 common sense ground rules so we all know what to expect inside the 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?

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