Google Answers Reminiscences
Researchers, customers and commenters (“peanuts”) are invited to post reminiscences related to the soon-to-be-defunct Google Answers service.
Did the service change your life? Perhaps it introduced you to new friends, or to a new lifestyle? Or perhaps you had a particularly memorable exchange in one of the questions … over to you …
November 30th, 2006 at 3:49 pm
I’d like to speak in appreciation of the people who commented at Google Answers over the years. We researchers cheekily refer to you guys as the “peanuts” (because you can throw verbal peanuts in cases where it would be unprofessional for a researcher to do so).
The service wouldn’t have been the same without the commenters. You were our critics, our sounding boards, our sparring partners, our rivals in the race to answer. You were our comedians, our oracles, our judges. You were our supporters, our detractors, our competitors, and sometimes our antagonists and adversaries. In many cases, you became our friends.
Thanks you to every commenter! We can’t imagine the service without you.
November 30th, 2006 at 4:08 pm
I can imagine that they don’t want to spend new money on it, but I can’t imagine that Google wants to take present answers offline. I consider this a great loss for everybody, just like burning a piles of books.
I hope that doesn’t happen. Or that at least they declare that content “open” so that it can be preserved by anybody interested.
November 30th, 2006 at 5:50 pm
ac: Google has said that they intend to keep existing answers online (for now at any rate).
December 1st, 2006 at 12:28 am
It’s over. The plug was pulled at 2320 UTC.
December 1st, 2006 at 2:33 am
You researchers at Google Answers were my “dream team;” I could always count on you coming up with precisely the answer I needed. You will be sorely missed because I got to know your capabilities so well. Despite Yahoo Answers’ “hive intelligence,” nothing beats a good, smart business researcher who can separate the chaff from the wheat.
December 1st, 2006 at 4:30 pm
Google Answers has been an essential daily exercise for me…The wit and intellect of GA Researchers and commenters provided escape from banal everyday conversation. It provided a forum for critiquining one”s opinions.
To say it shall be sorely missed is a huge understatement.
K22