Yahoo! Answers

Many of us like to chat and play games, and there is a time and place for that—just not on Yahoo! Answers. The mission of Answers is all about sharing knowledge and advice within the community, not gaming and popularity contests. We’ve blogged before about the fine line between offering a poll query and violating the Community Guidelines. But after seeing another rise of avatar games, along with the ongoing complaints in the forum over this type of recurring abuse, we have decided to go over the issue again.

What’s the difference between polling and chatting?

Polling questions such as “Who do you think will win the election?” or “What kind of decorations do you put on a Christmas tree?” are OK. Advice-seeking and knowledge-worthy questions are more than welcome on the site.

On the other hand, questions such as “What’s your name?”, “Am I pretty?”, “Vote for the best above/below avatar,” or any sort of avatar games, name games, guessing games, truth or dare, trolling games, etc., violate the Community Guidelines and should be reported as abuse. We also consider questions that call out other users by name to be chatting. If you want to chat with another user, please use instant messaging or send email to that user. Yahoo! Groups is another great social networking resource, and a quick search on Yahoo! will point you in the direction of plenty of avatar and other game sites.

If you want to ask a follow-up question in response to someone else’s question and that person is not available via email or IM, post a new question that’s open to everyone in the community to answer—there might be someone else who’s better equipped to answer it.

How do I report chatting and gaming questions/answers?

Go to the page where the abusive question or answer appears, and click “Report Abuse.” To report abuse that does not appear directly in the question or answer (such as harassment, obscene avatars, etc.), you can still click “Report Abuse” and describe the abuse in the “Additional Details” box provided. Once you’ve reported the violation, you’re done. There’s no need to email the team—we will remove the abusive content.

When people use Answers to chat with each other, it lowers the quality of the site and defeats the knowledge-sharing purpose of the site. By sticking to the guidelines and reporting abuse, we can all make Yahoo! Answers an informative and enjoyable place to be.

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Hey Guys,

I’ve been wearing corrective lenses since the second grade. So it goes without saying that my eyes are weaker than most. But does wearing glasses actually weaken the eyes, as some people think? I donned my Coke bottles and went searching for answers.

The theory, and one that I’ve always believed, is that by wearing glasses, you’re actually allowing your eyes to slack off and not work as hard. Then, when you don’t wear your glasses after a while, things look worse than they did before. In short, by wearing glasses, your eyes get worse. It’s not exactly irony, but it’s pretty darn close. But, is it true?

Not according to the sources I found. The official site from the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC.net) explains that while it may seem like wearing glasses causes your vision to get worse, it’s really just an illusion. Professor of optometry David Atchinson says that once people start wearing glasses, they get used to the improved vision. “So you start to accept that as the norm and if you don’t have the glasses on you’re just so much more aware of the problem.”

A page from the University of Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary also calls this a myth. “Before you start wearing glasses, you are accustomed to seeing a blurry world around you.” Then, when you get glasses, the world is suddenly a lot clearer. After a few months, if you remove your glasses, “you are presented with the same blurry world as before.” Your vision hasn’t changed, but your perception has. The site goes on to explain that it’s possible your eyesight changed, but that would have happened “regardless of whether you wore the glasses or not.”

Looks like I have no more excuses for wearing my thick-as-a-brick spectacles. Rats.

Thanks for reading,

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Photo by limonada

That’s right! After months of waiting, “Project Runway” is back on TV! Sure, there was a heated legal battle over which TV network would find the next up-and-coming designer. But I saw on a bus ad during my morning commute that the new season debuts tonight on Lifetime. If, like me, you’ve been so desperate for your fashion fix that you watched “The Fashion Show” on Bravo, you’ve probably been waiting on pins and needles (pardon the pun) for the return of “Project Runway.”

This might be a controversial statement (and I have all the respect in the world for Isaac Mizrahi), but I thought that “The Fashion Show” was a poor knockoff. I found the judge’s comments to the contestants in the workroom to be snarky and not constructive, and the contestants’ talents to be of a lower caliber than the bar that “Project Runway” set. And don’t even get me started on letting the viewers choose the winner. I say leave fashion to the professionals, and let us pick the fan favorite.

It’s a bummer about “The Fashion Show,” because Bravo usually hits the mark with their “professional” reality shows, like “Top Chef,” “Shear Genius,” and (formerly) “Project Runway.” What I like best about these shows is that the contestants are super-talented, and the producers are not casting the dregs of the respective industries to claw and connive their way to the prize. It warms the cockles of my hard, cynical heart to see the competitors helping each other out. When everyone brings their A game, the victory is all the sweeter, and you learn what the competitors are really made of.

If you ask me, “Project Runway” is the upside of reality TV. Every week, I’m baffled by challenges like making clothes out of car parts, or a pair of jeans, or with items bought at a grocery store. Given the time, money, and material constraints, I’m always thinking, “There’s no way I could ever do this!” The talent is staggering. Where else on TV can you find a rockin’ dress made of plastic drinking cups, an evening gown using human hair as an accent, or a catch phrase to rival Christian Siriano’s trademark “Fierce!”?

What is your favorite “Project Runway” moment?

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We receive a lot of feedback each day through the blog, Suggestion Board, and other channels of communication. One of the community’s most heatedly discussed topics centers around the quality of questions or answers.

As you probably know, our Community Guidelines exist to explain our daily moderation on the site, and also to help you form better questions and answers on Yahoo! Answers. Let’s look at some golden rules that will help improve your experience by increasing your chances of getting even better results:

1. Start your question with “who,” “why,” “how,” etc.: Formulate your question in a clear, straightforward way. This will help your question stand out to visitors who can share their knowledge and answer some questions. Make it easier for them to find yours!
Example: How can I solve a Rubik’s cube?

2. Use correct spelling (avoid SMS or texting language) in your questions: Correct spelling and grammar help people understand your questions. You’ll get better answers when others can clearly make out what you’re asking.
Example: “Who da actress dat plays Monica’s BFF…” should be “Who is the actress that plays Monica’s best friend…”

3. Open the debate (politely!): Remember, we’re a diverse community of people with differing opinions. Feel free to introduce your point of view with constructive thoughts or examples, or compare your vision with another’s personal experiences. And by citing sources, using quotation marks, and including hyperlinks, you make the community stronger and better informed.

4. Categorize your question in the proper place: Placing your question in the right category helps make it more visible to the people who can give you the best information and most accurate answers.

5. Respect other members and the opinions they post—do not target specific users: With a community this large, expect to find opinions that are different from yours. Everyone wants to be treated with dignity. Showing respect to others makes the community better for all of us. Don’t ask or answer questions about another member—let’s not engage in gossip. We’re here to share knowledge!

And remember, it’s always a good idea to search first to check if the question that’s on your mind has already been asked.

For more information, check our Community Guidelines or Help pages. Feel free to share other helpful hints with the community by leaving a comment below.

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Hey Guys,

A president’s speeches are often a huge part of his or her legacy. After noticing so many questions within Yahoo! Answers on who said what famous quote, I thought I’d do a brief rundown on some of the more famous presidential phrases. The commander-in-chief didn’t always write the words (that’s what speechwriters are for), but he said ‘em. And in history’s eyes, that’s what counts.

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” This is one of the all time famous quotes and odds are you probably already know that President Franklin Roosevelt said this in response to the country’s worry about the economy at the beginning of the Great Depression. You can read the entire speech here.

“The buck stops here.” Quotes about “passing the buck” are as old as the hills, but it was President Harry S. Truman who popularized the quote “The Buck Stops Here.” A reference to his refusal to shuck responsibility, the phrase had a place of honor on the president’s desk in the Oval Office. Now, it’s used in everyday conversation, and seen at just about every game involving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Milwaukee Bucks.

“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” OK, this one is too easy. As we all know, John F. Kennedy said this during his 1961 inaugural address. In the years since, the line has become one of the most famous phrases in history. The National Archives explains that President Kennedy honed down the famous phrase “from a thought about sacrifice” that he’d “long held in his mind and had expressed in various ways in campaign speeches.”

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.” This is one of my favorite quotes, because I think it really holds true. It comes from President Calvin Coolidge, who goes on to note that not even talent can take the place of persistence. “Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.”

“Speak softly, but carry a big stick.” President Theodore Roosevelt popularized this gem. It basically means that in matters of diplomacy you should be both respectful and prepared to rumble should things turn ugly.

Got any other favorite presidential quotes? Go ahead and leave a comment below and explain why it means something to you. Bonus points to the first person who quotes William Henry Harrison.

Thanks for reading,

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