Yahoo! Canada Answers Blog

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.

New Answers Homepage

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.

New Navigation

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

New Category Browse

On the old Answers homepage 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 comments – 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!

As I am pushing 30, I am slowly entering that phase where all my high school friends seem to be tying the knot at the same time. It’s like they all made some sort of secret pact to simultaneously walk down the aisle. When the high school sweethearts got engaged, I was not surprised- they had already begun exchanging vows in the sandbox and everyone was expecting to receive an invite any day now. When the old-fashioned friends – the ones who must be married before they’re 30 – decided to get hitched, I was not worried either because they always treated being single like a ticking bomb.

However, I did freak out when I was invited to see notorious Lotharios put a ring on it. Suddenly, I felt like I was destined to join the eternally single gals club. If there is one group that has been consistently looked down upon over the years, it’s that one. The thought of ending my days as an old maid only crossed my mind for a second because I do enjoy being single. With time, I decided to accept the fact that I am taking my time because it is better to wait than rush into things. After all, it`s not a race to the altar.

Do you think people should be married by a certain age?

On Tuesday, January 12, Haiti was struck by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, centered 10 miles west of Port-au-Prince. The quake has caused widespread damage and casualties and structural damage. At this point, authorities are unsure as to just how much damage the quake has caused but know that its impact was vast and intense.

In times like these, it is important for communities to band together to provide support.

On Answers, we form a community of collective knowledge- but in the real world, together, we create a collective bound together by one thing: humanity, and the ability to endure. And in times like these, it’s important to remember that, and to help others persevere.

According to the Associated Press, “it was clear from a tour of the capital that tens of thousands of people had lost their homes and that many had perished. Many buildings in Haiti are flimsy and dangerous even under normal conditions.”

To learn more about how you can send your support to help the victims of the earthquake in Haiti please follow the links below.

- World Vision Canada

- Red Cross

- The Humanitarian Coalition

-Unicef

-Oxfam

- Salvation Army

It was recently reported that BeautifulPeople.com – the website behind the latest headline-grabbing stunt – has expelled more than 5,000 users from its global community. The reason? These members have been found guilty of posting pictures of themselves over the Holidays showing a heavier waist line. As if the whole purpose of the site was not controversial enough – it bans “ugly people” from joining its ranks – the recently excluded “festive fatties” have been encouraged to re-apply once their physical appearance can be deemed attractive again.

Many might cringe or scream foul at the idea of a social networking site that prides itself in promoting ‘gorgeous’ people exclusively, but aren’t we all guilty of it? After all, we all like to see and be around beautiful people.  We may advocate inner beauty, but at the end of the day, who doesn’t indulge in fantasies involving Beyonce or Megan Fox?  Is there anything wrong with being shallow sometimes?

It’s beginning to look a lot like that time of the year again. The magic of Christmas is in the air. Before we bid farewell to 2009, let us remember the lessons we learned this year and  apply them in 2010. Whether you plan to check out Hollywood’s latest Christmas release or attend a glamorous new year’s eve party, we hope you enjoy yourself.

Wishing you every happiness this holiday season and throughout the coming year.

Happy Holidays!

Back in October we announced that with your help, Yahoo! Answers hit the 1 billion question and answers mark. At this point, we also had a whopping 179 million users around the world. Just when we thought our community couldn’t grow any faster, a mere two months later, we’ve hit the 200 million-worldwide visitor mark!

When you break it down, on average, that’s:

* 350,000 new  visitors a day
* 243 new visitors a minute

So here’s a big thanks to you, the Answers community for spreading the word about Answers, and sharing with your friends, family, and anyone you meet on the internet about what you’ve learned (and what you want to learn!) on Answers.

At this rate, we’ll hit 300 million in no time!

This year, Yahoo! Answers Canada has seen its fair share of questions and answers—you’ve covered everything under the sun—from questions about current events such as “balloon boy” to Michael Jackson’s death to everyday questions about culture to tackling tough questions about the economy and unemployment.

We’ve gone through some of the best (and quirkiest) content on Answers to create this year’s highlight book. This year’s e-book contains 12 questions from Answers users, just like you, that showcase some of the unique questions and answers you’ll find on Yahoo! Answers- as well as a few outstanding community members you might come across while perusing the site.

So view the book 2009 Highlights (3406) and explore some of the content found on Answers (this will prompt you to download a small PDF file).

Download the e-book here: 2009 Highlights (3406)

It’s that time of the year ladies. The new installment of the Twilight Franchise is right around the corner. The vampire fad is peaking yet again and many questions are being raised about whether or not this iddyllic love story is creating the unattainable expectations for young girls Edward Cullen – the vampire who sweeps Bella off her feet . Can you imagine a young Twilighter in her first romantic relationship? Does Edward Cullen give women in general an unrealistic expectation from men?

It’s hard for regular guys to rise to the bar he’s set, especially when women are idealizing Edward to the point where real men can’t compete anymore. Some would say vampires appeal to us because they can literally love you forever if they choose too. The term eternity takes a whole new meaning. In Edward Cullen’s case, centuries of practice to master the art of seduction could be the reason why so many girls are in complete awe over him. No matter it is, it is certainly intriguing.

Have you been bitten by the vampire bug? What do you think of the fascination with vampires?

We know that when visiting Yahoo! Answers you’re here either to ask a question or answer a question. For many of you, your main objective is to lend a hand and answer as many questions about your area of expertise as possible, but often, you’re unable to easily find the right types of questions.

While a basic search (using the top search bar) will produce quick search results, the advanced search function will help you pinpoint specific terms within targeted categories

Answers community member  Calimecita is well known across the community for her expertise in Biology/Zoology  and has worked with us to provide useful Answers tips from Answers users.  Read on for her tips:

“Using Advanced Search you can:

* Find questions that match specific words or phrases, and/or exclude specific terms
* Search questions or best answers only
* Search by category or subcategory
* Choose to search among all English vs. only your home portal questions
* Filter by question status (open, resolved, undecided)
* Restrict by question time frame

You also have the option of saving this search and making it your default “advanced search” for the future by checking the “Make this my default search” box.

Says Cali: “With Advanced Search, I can locate open questions about specific topics quickly and efficiently, without restricting myself to a single category. I’ve even set up a few Yahoo! Alerts based on the RSS feeds from these Search results, so that I receive those questions as emails.”

“When I need an Answer, I restrict my search to “Resolved Questions” only and use some of the other options, such as “search for exact phrase” and “none of these words”, to find very specific content (for example, information about turkeys that doesn’t involve Thanksgiving recipes, or a question about vampires – not the Twilight kind ).

I see lots of comments and requests in the Suggestion Board for ways to do these things – and many users don’t know that Advanced Search is the answer.”

For an even more in-depth look at what the advanced search feature can do for you, stop by Calimecita’s Unofficial Answers Tutorial, found here: http://calitorial.webs.com/searchsort.htm

As we strive for high quality content on Answers, we also encourage freedom of expression and discussions on any topic. However, you can sometimes stumble upon questions or answers that seem to blur the line between strong opinions and a violation of the community guidelines,  plagiarism or copyright infringement.

Strong opinion vs. violation

Everyone has opinions, and these are what makes Answers vibrant and fun. Respectfully expressed opinions that contribute to useful knowledge for the community are accepted on Yahoo! Answers. However, anyone who promotes hate speech, uses slurs to refer to groups of people, insults other members, and act in a belligerent manner towards others should be reported.

What is considered offensive?

It is not ok to report someone because you disagree with that person’s opinion. If you see something that is personally offensive to you but does not violate Community Guidelines, please do not report it. Their opinions may contradict your own, but please consider whether or not they are actually in violation. Do you think it contains slurs? Do they insult other participants? Do you think it is obscene or illegal? Remember that people are entitled to their own opinions, and it is up to everyone to express them in a respectful and constructive manner.

To be responsible, report only those opinions that violate the rules of our community. (Please find the Community Guidelines here) In fact, you will become less empowered to remove abuse from the site in the future if it is determined that the people you report are not in violation.

What is plagiarism?

Intellectual property infringement is a reportable offense on Yahoo! Answers, but the process is a little different from ordinary community guidelines violations. If you believe your intellectual property has been infringed upon and would like to file a complaint, please see our Copyright/IP policy.

Have more questions? Let us know