Introducing the new Yahoo! Answers blog
Welcome to the new home of the Yahoo! Answers blog. You’ll find that we’ve updated our look—it’s a little cleaner with useful features to strengthen our connection with Yahoo! Answers.
So what’s changed? On the upper right of the page, you’ll see a link to Yahoo! Answers as well as tools for finding information. The Search box gives you three places to look in: Blog, Web, or Answers. If you still don’t find what you need, you can post a question directly to Answers from the box below Search. You’ll also find subscription links for My Yahoo! and RSS feeds, blogs we like, and recent readers from the MyBlogLog community. Be sure to join the Yahoo! Answers Blog community on MyBlogLog.
All you Ask Mike fans can find his posts in one place on a tab at the top of the page. And the Feedback tab gives you the scoop on how to contact us for reporting bugs, abuse, suggestions, and the like.
Beneath each post you can comment on it (please do!), add the post to del.icio.us, or go directly to Yahoo! Answers.
What hasn’t changed? The Yahoo! Answers blog is still the place to come for product updates, announcements, community guideline features, and staff picks as well as quirky, timely, anecdotal, and (we hope) informative posts highlighting the topics we find in our meanderings through the Answers community. Thanks for stopping by.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
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so is this the replacement for 360, or a new version of answers?? when will we get a preview of the new 360??
I’m sure your new blog is fabulous. However, the RSS feed no longer works in Google Reader. Please fix, and I’ll continue reading.
Max
@tinkertoy – This isn’t a replacement for 360, that team is still hard at work on the next stages for 360 users. This is the new home for the Yahoo! Answers blog — a place to find information about updates and features on the site, the Answers team, and the community.
@Max — Thanks for pointing this out, I’ll look into it.
It’s a shame to see the product teams abandoning 360. I while WordPress is nice for a blog, it seems to go against the grain of providing a more “integrated experience” when the Universal Profile System. So far, I don’t see the point of MyBlogLog and it seems like this movement of product team blogs away from 360 provides a less integrated experience.
I enjoyed being able to log into my list of 360 account and see updates from my friends and favorites. I can’t do that anymore.
Yeah… so… abandoning 360 was a crappy move. I’m disappointed.
Mario–Can you give us any idea of when the new Yahoo 360/blog product will arrive? I’ve been holding out to see what Yahoo comes up with, but the lack of information from Yahoo has become increasingly frustrating.
@Donna Laine — We are anxiously awaiting the new evolution of Yahoo! 360. If any new information becomes available, you can bet that it will be shared on the Yahoo! 360 Team Blog.
Can we expect to see Yahoo login integration here?
It is interesting that even Yahoo itself is not using its own 360 product to communicate with its users, and that still expects those who are part of the 360 community to remain and continue to participate in all aspects of Yahoo. The lack of true communication about the new product is frustrating and even made more so when Yahoo itself will not use its own product yet still expects its users to remain and use it. Whatever is being built better far exceed anyone’s expectations if Yahoo expects people to return after this horrible experience.
Given that no information has been shared on the 360 blog since October, why does Yahoo think anyone expects there to be any information to show up there? Yahoo’s stockholders have a right to be furious and concerned with the way Yahoo is handling this transition, it shows a deep lack of professional courtesy and ability to create, develop and migrate any data over and not to lose market share in the process. 360 should have been maintained or fixed before it was abandoned.
Cool, but I think there is a problem with the search function. I tried searching for ‘pipes’ (Yahoo! Pipes) and there are no results. I have read an Answer blog in the past that discussed Yahoo! Pipes.
I also noticed that links to international Yahoo! Answers blogs are missing.
@Unity — Yahoo! 360 is evolving into something new, and although that team is not ready to unveil this yet, news will come from them when the time comes.
As for using Yahoo! 360 as a communications tool, Yahoo! is standardizing the product blog experience across the network. The decision to do so has allowed our team the opportunity to address several requests from our readers — Yahoo! Answers search, ability to ask questions on Yahoo! Answers, and a clear tie to the Yahoo! Answers community.
@Will – Thanks for pointing this out. Our archive of older blog posts still lives on our old Yahoo! 360 blog. The post you are looking for is here. We are awaiting news from the Yahoo! 360 team about export options for older posts, so for now please reference the old blog for posts before January 1, 2008.
yeah, this really sucks…the old way of doing it was much better. Now this looks like it’s been institutionalized…when is 360 going to be redone?
Cool, nice blog. Could you please add a sci-fi section to Yahoo Answers? Like sorted by series (Star Trek, Farscape, Stargate, Star Wars, etc.) or by movies, books, CDs, comics, etc.? Thanks.
I enjoy sharing my knowledge with others, and learning something from themas well, but I find too many are just using *Answers as an ego trip, responding in glib non sequiters, or snide and often abusive remarks that do not provide any real insights,clutter up the forum with ego-trips, irrelevancies and often tend to ruin the experience,especially for people fwith serousn questions but who’s english \grammar is not the bestand who have trouble expressing themselves.
They are often subject to mockery and verbal abuse.
I have noted many pointless and “unhelpful” responses and remarks and ahve reported several for what I considered obviously abusive and improper personal comment.
Realizing that you rely on the community to report abuses, what is the procedure for dealing with such reports of abuse, and also what can be done by the community itslef about irrelevant, and obviously self-serving answers that do not really help the quesitoner with his or her query,but are used as vehicles forthe reponders own amusement and ego?
I differentiate such willful abuses from just plain lack of knowledge or unintended misinformation, which certainly falls into the category of “caveat emptor”.
Don’t think I’ll change to the new Yahoo! Blog until I’m made to. There are usually so many bugs in new products(especially from Yahho!) that I’ll stay with the new system till many of the bugs are worked out. As you can guess: I’m a lover of Yahoo!360….. the way it was!
Great, another unveiling… Hey Y!AT… take it all off… woops. Hehehe.
I see no point in replacing 360 with something different. What do you hope to achieve? I think you should spend your resources making the old 360 function properly. Then you’ll have a happy, loyal and, no doubt, growing customer base.
can you please transfer into my new blog the old one of all 850 odd blog entries? LMAO yea right you got rid of 360 just because of blokes like me? right? giggles. What is this memory costing you guys, its not cheap!
I’m afraid to join this service because I fear it may be yet another “lock-in” thing like 360 where you can’t “unsubscribe” or “unregister” without deleting your account. Therefore, I must bid you all a farewell on this cold, white board, so appropriate for the blustery weather conditions at the moment, because I just don’t want to start doing it this way. I am a ?Level 7? participant with 95% best answers, but because I’m not into trying new things such as this, I’m afraid I shall no longer be posting comments on your blogs.
thanks and what ever you done , please keep your eyes on community guideline ..because too many account and questions/answers was easy get violation notice and deleted because of no reason….sorry to post this but it is good for YA future…please do something before its too late ….thanks
From the YAT — “Yahoo! Answers search, ability to ask questions on Yahoo! Answers, and a clear tie to the Yahoo! Answers community.”
Having been on YA for two years, I can tell you these were not requests, they were bugs in how you handled your 360 page., There were easy fixes for these and the YAT just wouldn’t do them or just couldn’t see them.
There are still the real YAT problems with third rate search functions, broken search functions, broken RSS feeds, third rate sort functions, and no control of YA.
There is the effort and success of the YAT to blacklist long time users from the suggestion board, just like their Chinese counterparts might do to users there. There is Lou admitting that the YAT can not handle the abuse violation reports and suggesting users ignore abuse to lower the burden on the overworked team.
And finally, there is the weak, weak effort to blog suggestions for the YAT users. Instead of fixing the FAQs, they give us half hearted blogs that do not address the real problems of TOS violations and the lack of communication between the YA users and the YAT.
This blog move is just another admission that Yahoo can not handle its business. Don’t try to whitewash it into anything else.
Just to let you know, you already have a bug on this blog. The search “Answers” feature is ONLY a search “YA Questions”. You need to change the tag to reflect what it really does.
BIGGER TYPE, PLEASE!!! If this is what we will be converting our 360 pages into, you definitely need bigger type. I can barely see it, and increasing the zoom will only mean I have that awful back-and-forth scroll bar to read every line.
What will happen to 360, Answers, Geocities, etc, websites after Microsoft buys Yahoo?
The new blog looks very good – a nice effort on the YAT however could you make it clearer when a new topic has been made and naturally could a staff badge such as the Yahoo! Answers suggestion board be implemented to staff comments.
However closing the link between yahoo! 360 and yahoo! answers seems to right thing to do.
@Mario –
Unfortunately – heat is coming to you but at least you are responding to comments, which is better than the rest of the Yahoo representatives at this time.
While Yahoo is standardizing itself, it has left its users behind in a cloud of unusable smoke. Not your fault but if you can’t understand the users frustrations, don’t really see how you can offer what we actually ask for.
Thanks for at least responding to the comments here.
best of luck good bye..
Fully agree with Unity (above).
“It is interesting that even Yahoo itself is not using its own 360 product to communicate with its users, and that still expects those who are part of the 360 community to remain and continue to participate in all aspects of Yahoo. The lack of true communication about the new product is frustrating and even made more so when Yahoo itself will not use its own product yet still expects its users to remain and use it.”
“News will come from them when the time comes”? Would you buy that as an answer, or would it win 10 points if were posted as reply? I know this is not the 360? blog or 360 Team, but you must realise it’s quite disconcerting to see the Answers blog “jumping ship” in advance and not telling anyone when the new ship is sailing in.
And I’d just like to add that if the new version of 360? is as faceless and barren-looking as this page, I think the already-dwindling numbers will be sparked into a mass move to Multiply. Yahoo seems both leaderless and rudderless at this time, I’m sorry to say.
@Frank — Thanks for your feedback. We knew that moving the Yahoo! Answers blog to a new home could possibly be interpreted as “jumping ship,” but we assure you this is not intended to represent, nor reflect, any of the work that the Yahoo! 360 team is putting into evolving Yahoo! 360.
We aren’t privy to details, but what we do know is that while the new incarnation of Yahoo! 360 will incorporate blogs, it will not meet the blogging needs of a product-based blog.
Mario, it walks and quacks like a duck. There is nothing of substance here that you could not have done on 360. Give up the sham. And fix the bugs you already have here. Incorrectly labeled searches and links to a Suggestion Board that not everyone can use.
So is this a day late? The Mercury News says that Yahoo is cutting 360. Are people still saying there will be a great 360 or are they hoping Microsoft will do something? Something smells fishy.
I think the people who are running this site.are great.
Running a business is very difficult, there is always
a chief critic. Always will be. Appreciation week for
Blog 360. This could be a suggestion. For all that
have a complaint there will always be others who love it hear. I am one of the ones who loves all the hard work you do to keep this site moving. Some people are just miserable and they like to make others feel
the same way. Too bad they dont have that power unless you let them.
keep up the good work.
gracb2u@yahoo.ca
Feb.2nd.2008.
Today’s paper had a big story about microsoft trying to buy yahoo. Since our computer is only a month old, I am not up on all that is going on.
I’m not sure but I definitely think YAT should redesign this blog because it looks plain and boring and also the fonts isn’t so pleasant for the eyes~~
yeah so I hope Y!A would figure this thing soon…
=/
another lib yahoo “feature” to spread more lib propaganda.
McAfee hasn’t reviewed this site so I can’t comment
this blog is not very interesting.it looks plain and boring..i think Y!A can do something to cheer this blog..why don’t you use bright colours? surely,they can cheer up this blog..
Once you have something other then a mouse as your symbol I’ll start thinking about taking this whole thing seriously, right now I just enjoy laughing at what a big deal you make out of everything…
Good Luck guys. If this is half as informative as answers this will be great.
This is the blog?!!!
Oh my God, there’s no color or anything. Okay, so maybe I’m not at the right place.
No wonder Bill Gates is selling yahoo!!
Wow, THIS is the long awaited Yahoo Blog? How unimaginative and boring looking.
Most of the fun is stripped out when you drain all the graphics and backgrounds and creative things from a blog. I have no intentions of giving up my 360 for THIS!!!
@autumlovr — This is the new Yahoo! Answers blog, not the replacement for Yahoo! 360. Your 360 will not look like this.
Sorry for the misunderstanding. Thanks for your prompt reply on this. Glad to know this is not the replacement for 360.
I see you changed the search button to read Yahoo Answers. Two problems.
1. The word “Answers” word wraps in IE7 so it looks like “Blog Answers”.
2. That doesn’t search Yahoo Answers, it only searches YA Questions !!, not the site, answers, users, suggestion board or anything else.
Try it again.
@Henry Boyter — Thank you for the feedback.
1. I’m looking into the wrapping issue.
2. Yes. This utilizes the default setting for search on Yahoo! Answers, which is to search questions. You can search answers by conducting an advanced search on Yahoo! Answers.
Thanks!
yahoo ROCKS
Hmm, seeing this is for Yahoo! Inc, why not use a yahoo domain instead of this complicated (can’t remember) domain?
Yahoo answer blog…ok is there a way to ask and answer questions? Or is this a place to just post comments?
@Paul — You can ask questions in the section titled “Can’t find it with Search? Ask” in the right rail.
Type your question in the field, click the “Post Question” button and you will be taken to the Yahoo! Answers ask flow.
Hope this helps!
Mario, try again. You can not search answers on YA. It limits you to Best Answers in the advanced search. No clue what “All” represents, but it does not include answers. Anyway, the advanced search and RSS feeds are broken so I would not recommend them to anyone.
I didn’t know it was broken.
How come URL’s don’t work anymore? Is it a glitch, or something? Or is it permanent? Please let us know in advance!
ok. tell me what this blog is about. is it for making comments on YA only? that will last about a day. is it an open forum to discuss anything? do the same rules apply here as YA or is it possible to be honest and practice free speech?
thanx.
You might want to consider updating the “blog” link on the Answers homepage. It still takes users to the 360 page.
@NH Baritone — thanks for the feedback. We are currently working on getting that link updated.
There is no reason to prohibit the hilarious “chatting” Y!A provides. The entire jokes and riddles section of Y!A is chatting. In my layman opinion, the only way to gain knowlege is through mindless (yet informative and satisfying) banter. AKA “chatting.” Can your server not handle the questions? Or is it something else? Please let the answers community have an entire Rant & Response section. It would be beneficial to eveything you stand for.
-Thank you kindly
B&S
Thanks for everything!
what is this a blog on yahoo answers?
change “there is no pain IN change
the pain is in the resistance to it”
“If you build it they will come”
and not always happily
LOA
?
so we get to chat on Y!A now. yay.
I really don’t mind it being plain. I would rather have information at my finger tips about things I care about than fancy this and that which takes away from what you are actually trying your best to figure out.
Does anyone understand what I am saying? Plain like Jane Astin is sometimes better.
Diane
You just want straighy help answers not movies or pictures i understand.
Subscription to Answers blog? Will I have to make some payments; in dollars ?
How much is the effect of. Alcohol on my fitness level?
Alcohol can and does have a major effect on fitness. Mainly due to its detrimental. Effect on recovery. It is very possible that a significant amount of alcohol at the weekend can affect your body more than 72 hours after you stop training. If your recovery is impaired you will not get the same benefits from the training that you do. You are also more likely to enter into a state of over training.
I am curious about how the “show me another question” get into a loop and repeats itself
Anyone who has had any Paranormal experiences can join my yahoo group.
yahoo answers team is the biggest load of bull since aol’s CAT! im now convinced they dont even read reports they get. i had my level 6 account suspended for no legitimate reason, i am upset because my entire yahoo account was deleted, not just my yahoo answers, so my entire address book and messenger list are gone. i had 3 violations that i got before this and successfully had all of them appealed. i figure it was just trolls reporting every answer that i gave, which works to get people suspended since they dont bother to read reports. i couldnt get into my account to appeal this last time, i had to contact yahoo’s customer service to inquire about what happened. at this point i was thinking my email was hacked into and was being used to send spam. when i finally was contacted by yahoo rep, i found out it was due to a yahoo answers violation and they would not reinstate my account. the worst part of it all was i found out the particular question this happened over, was so benign i dont see how anyone could have constituted as violating yahoo’s tos. the question that was just so offensive that it warranted deleting my entire yahoo account was: “how do you type in kanji (japanese) characters?”
i wrote a third time trying to find out the exact reason given as to how this was a violation of their terms, but still have no response 2 weeks later and i’m not counting on ever getting one. its a good thing for yahoo that they are a free service, because with this kind of wonderful communication skills and customer service i dont think any sane person would pay for it. i certainly wont be using YA ever again even if they gave my account back. for the whole time i was a user i tried only to help others with subjects i was knowledgable in… it seems now its all about trolling and who can make up the stupidest or most shocking/perverse/disgusting questions to post and get a rise out of people. hey YA team, why dont you try going after people who make 100 accounts to troll/harass with and actually read your bogus reports, instead of suspending those of us who are using the site for its intended purpose?