Yahoo! Answers

“I won’t send a picture of myself since Answers is meant to be confidential but here is a picture of my great-grandfather taken in about 1908 because people say I look more like him every passing year.  He was then about the same age I am now.”

Every so often we come across Answers users who are so wonderful we have to share them with you all as a Featured User. So meet Victor: author and expert contributor with a nearly 70% Best Answer percentage who’s been with us since spring ‘06. Why did he join? He saw someone write that recession and inflation were the same thing. And when someone else answered that the French Revolution came before American Independence, well, he had to step in. Answers has been the better for it ever since.

Some great Answers by Victor:

• How did Napoleon’s downfall lead to his death?
• How long is it going to take for the economy to completely fail?
• What does the expression ‘economies of scale’ pertain to?
• Was the enlightenment period a positive or negative influence on Europe?
• In Physics why does equation E = MC2 use the square function?

Get more Best Answers from Victor…

Meet Victor…

Yahoo! Answers Team: What do you enjoy about answering?

Victor: “Two parts to it.  First, I like to think that my answers are interesting and may be helpful for someone who needs to know.  Secondly, it’s a kind of competition with myself: how much do I know about this subject that I can write down? I’m willingly ignorant about some things and wouldn’t ever answer on those, but some subjects are very close to my head and heart, and I stick to those.”

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?  Where are you based?

“I spend about half the year in South London and the rest at Igatpuri, Maharashtra, India because my wife is Indian and there is a big family there.  Although I’ve worked in education and the Civil Service, I’m self employed now, so I can find work in both places and India is nicer than UK between November and April.  At this moment, therefore, I’m at Igatpuri which is 19 deg N of the Equator and about 73 deg E of London.”

You seem to answer in some quite diverse categories, such as history, economics and mathematics – can you explain a little about your interest in these areas?

“I went to university in the early 1960s and studied mathematics and economics, and then did a Masters 15 years later in management sciences [maths in business and engineering].  I’ve written books on these subjects.  However, my real intellectual love is history and I’ve studied that formally and informally since childhood – but you can’t make a living from it!  I did a minor in my BA in history, especially the development of government and democracy in Europe and N America.  As you see, I’ve a big interest in a range of subjects and special knowledge is some of them.”

Does work, education or your own personal experiences inform your choice answering?

“Mostly, I answer from personal knowledge or from academic research interests.  If a question is about business, management or government then I can answer from experience, and the same goes for maths and economic theory.  History involves judgement as well as knowledge and I try to bring both into my answers.  For a time, some weeks ago, I was a Top Contributor in History but then that status was removed.  I don’t know why or if the removal indicates something I’ve done wrong.”

Can you tell me more about where you live (some of the year) in India?

“Igatpuri, to be honest, has been a rail station and truck stop until this past 5 years. Now it’s a boom town because of the dual carriageway highway from Mumbai to Nashik, and the opening of the big Mahindra diesel engine plant. The town is a pilgrimage centre because of the Vipissanar meditation centre and ashram, and the old temple of Ghatendevi (goddess of the mountain).  Attached are two images with names to indicate which is which.  The elephant statues at Ghatendevi are carved out of wood and covered in stucco, which is whitened each year.”

“The town is located at about 1300 metres (4400 ft) above sea level and the mountains behind the town rise to about 1900 metres (6000 ft).  Igatpuri is in the Nashik District of Maharashtra, which is the centre of the Indian wine-making industry and produces some very fine vintages, similar in style to California and some Australian types.  See, for example www.tigerhillvineyards.com.”

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We’re happy to introduce our next Featured User: Blading Kid—a community member who has managed to get to Level 6 in a relatively short amount of time by answering questions primarily in the Friends section. Blading Kid has racked up a total of 1,550 answers so far, honing in on unanswered questions from people who are looking for advice and support from their peers. From Blading Kid’s own words:

So why am I answering questions in the Family & Relations: Friends category? Well, I happen to have a profound interest in human relations and human nature. This interest propelled me to educate myself on such topics, primarily the non-family, non-dating part of human relations.

Yahoo! Answers offered me a chance to use what I’ve learned and apply it in real-life situations to help others (and also to show off my knowledge. ;-p). The convenient format and environment of Yahoo! Answers also attracted me. Besides, I find it enjoyable!

I typically always hang out in the Friends section, because that section happens to be the category that I’m best at. Also, the fact that most questions are from peers of my age or younger also attracted me.

When not on Yahoo! Answers, Blading Kid spends time on various hobbies. Currently, Blading Kid is passionate about inline skating:

As for my hobbies, I love chess! Or at least I used to…I began playing chess in late 2004 after being taught by a fellow chess player at my school’s chess club. Soon I was absorbed by the game and won the title of Kentucky State Seventh-Grade Chess Champion the following year. I continued to play chess in various small tournaments and won countless first-, second-, and third-place trophies and over $1,000 in cash prizes over the next four years. For example, I won the 2008 North Florida High School chess championship, and came in second in the East Florida H.S. Chess Championship and was invited to Invitational Superstars. But my interest in chess soon began to wane as I became more and more immersed in aggressive inline skating, which is my current hobby, and where my Yahoo! Answers nickname, “Blading Kid,” was born. I don’t know if I’ll ever go back to chess again. Time will tell.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us, Blading Kid!

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Days at the SPCA are always eventful (no two days are ever the same, believe me!). Animals are always coming in to our shelter daily, on average around 25 per day: pets that are lost (mainly dogs, about 100 per month), given up, or abandoned; including dogs, cats, hamsters, and rabbits. We also accept strays (but we don’t go catching healthy stray dogs and cats – we would rather leave them in the environment if they have a food source and can survive).

Wild animals that are injured are also attended to, on our emergency rescue cases. A couple of weeks ago we rescued a pangolin from a drain in Yishun after someone had reported to us that it was in distress. After a vet check at the SPCA, we made arrangements with the National Parks Board to have the animal released back into a nature reserve.

Our Inspector is kept busy receiving 60 to 80 complaints of alleged animal abuse each month. At least a third of these cases relate to dogs being tied up or caged for most of the day. One wonders why people buy these animals in the first place, only to confine them. (Imagine what it would be like for us humans if we had to spend most of our life in confinement, with no entertainment whatsoever – not even regular exercise!)

Extreme cases of abuse where people deliberately harm or kill an animal occur from time to time, but sometimes there are no witnesses to the crime. It is important for people who see an act of animal abuse to report it to the police and the SPCA (you may have to testify in court otherwise action cannot be taken). You can visit our website, www.spca.org.sg, to see some of the cases reported to us. You can help us spread the message to stop animal abuse by downloading our banners and sending them to your friends.

And if you buy a pet, remember that it is a lifetime of commitment. The SPCA is always receiving pets that people have no time for anymore. We receive so many unwanted pets that we have to put animals to sleep daily. We receive around 700 animals per month, but only 85 animals on average are adopted each month. Why is this, you may ask? The SPCA has to compete with many pet shops and pet farms for homes – there is too much commercial breeding with no limits or restrictions placed by the authorities.

People also buy pets for the wrong reasons on the spur of the moment because the animals are cute and adorable, but have no knowledge on how to take care of them. Animals have feelings too – they can feel pain, suffering, and isolation. Our advice: Think twice before you buy.

When we see people coming to our counter to give up a pet, we try to change their minds by asking them to take back the animal and look for another home for the animal themselves, because we have too many to find homes for. If every pet owner were to do this, the SPCA would be able to focus more on the prevention of cruelty to animals, which is why the organization was founded.

In the media nowadays, we are always seeing opposing views: those who like animals, and those who do not. Singapore is a city where people live in close proximity to each other. Pet owners need to consider their neighbors and not let their pets stray or make a mess in public without cleaning it up. Such unthinking acts cause people to be anti-pets and anti-strays.

Sterilizing pets is also important as it prevents them from breeding and is healthier for them. It not only prevents them from getting cancer-related illnesses in their reproductive organs later in life, but also helps eradicate noise pollution caused by mating calls.

On that note, so long for now, and remember: Be kind to animals.

Singapore Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)

A special thanks to the folks at the Singapore SPCA for this post and to our sister site, Yahoo! Answers Blog Singapore, for sending this on to us. You can find additional information on the SPCA International site.

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“I first got into Yahoo Answers by accident.  A friend used it & she said it was really good – one day curiosity got the better of me, and I’m still here.”

- Spellbound: 30,127 points, Level 7, 65% Best Answer

Every so often we like to profile some of the amazing answerers we see on the site like Tunisian Belle and Calimecita. Today we are happy to put the spotlight on Spellbound: our resident history expert. Russia is his real passion but he is able to answer questions on many subjects. But don’t just take our word for it–here are some of his Best Answers:

• Did Joseph Stalin command the army during the Second World War?
• Why did the Art capitol move from Paris post-War?
• What was the significance of the Soviet satellite nations?

Spellbound in his own words…

“I’ve always enjoyed history, probably that comes from being taken round castles in North Wales as a child, but I also think that the past is alive, because the consequences of actions taken hundreds of years ago can have a direct impact on our lives – Magna Carta being an obvious example.

I am, by education, a Russologist, specialising in the late Soviet period.  I find the USSR fascinating.  It was such a mysterious place, as Churchill said of it “Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma”.

Other than the Soviet period, I love the medieval English period.  It was such a theatrical period, with larger than life characters, such as Simon De Montefort and Owen Glydwr.

The most misunderstood period of history is probably the Roman period.  In school Roman history is taught as though it were a homogenous, unchanging entity, whereas it was a fluid, dynamic ever changing creation, so much so, that the late Roman period bears little relation to the Rome of Julius Caeser and Augustus.

My favourite question is probably “Why did Germany surrender in 1918?”

The reason I like this question is that it is a clear question, the questioner sounds as though they are interested in the topic – it’s not just for homework help, and although the question may be a simple one, to answer the question well requires a detailed, well thought out answer.

Favorite answer? I have so many, but I think Brother Ranulf always provides food for thought, I thought the questions were really interesting and his answers are really well researched and thought out.”

Some Best Answers by Brother Ranulf, chosen by Spellbound:

• What happened to unchivalrous knights?
• How were monk’s animals and possessions protected in a Viking raid?
• After the Norman Conquest in 1066, what buildings were destroyed and what was built?

Know someone who’s “wowed” you on Answers? Think somebody deserves to be celebrated as next Featured User on the Answers Blog? We want to hear from you!

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A native tinamou (Rhynchotus rufescens), by Calimecita

Last week, we introduced you to our Answers biologist, Calimecita. We learned about her amazing job and what she likes about it.

In the second of two posts, we’ll discover more about Cecilia and her passion for Answers.

“My interests include reading and intermittently collecting stamps and coins, among others. Although I enjoy almost anything, I’m a Tolkien fan. In fact my nickname, Calimecita, derives from the 177px[fictional Elvish language] Quenya word Calima, meaning bright, clear — I picked it because my second name is Clara. I am also an avid reader of fiction in general and fantasy literature in particular.

“I also love my pets, of course! These days I only keep cats, dogs and gerbils, but I’ve had more interesting pets in the past, including a capybara, all sorts of other rodents, axolotls, and a small gecko.

Anónima, my calico girl, by Calimecita

Sunny, my gerbil, by Calimecita

Lamprotornis-purpureus, by Calimecita

Tiger, by Calimecita

Phrynops-hilarii (side-necked turtle), by Calimecita

“Above all, I enjoy learning all kinds of new stuff — either by reading, watching documentaries, or my own research — and sharing what I’ve learned with others. Everybody who knows me knows that I have a knack for finding that piece of information that nobody else has, so in “real life,” I’m often answering questions and solving problems, just like in Yahoo! Answers!

“What I enjoy the most here are the challenge, the fun, and the people.
“When I first started, it was mostly about answering questions and sharing what I knew. I like the challenging questions, especially when there’s an animal to identify or some obscure data to find. I especially love the difficult zoology questions, those that demand a bit of “detective work” in order to answer. In addition, I spend a lot of time in the Yahoo! Answers category, helping new users. Finally, I visit other areas such as Languages to help with Spanish-English translations or Music.

“But the social aspect is very important, too. Ever since I started, I’ve been very much part of the community, and I like how that feels. I’ve been able to participate in the development of the whole Yahoo! Answers concept, and now I’m sort of addicted to the interaction.

“Thanks to Yahoo! Answers, I’ve met people from all over the world, greatly improved my English, and learned a lot. What more could I ask for? Ah yes, I keep hoping that one of these days, my Yahoo! Answers friends will come to visit Argentina.”

Five of her Best Answers:

• What is the Oscillatoria?
• How do you tell a shark’s age?
• How do you tell a male and female gecko apart?
• Has the snake evolved at all?
• Why do people have kneecaps but not elbow caps?

Know someone who’s “wow-ed” you on Answers? Think somebody deserves to be celebrated as the next Featured User on the Answers Blog? We want to hear from you!

Leave a comment below with a link to the user’s profile or best answer, or email the Answers team at: y_answrs_editors@yahoo.com

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