Yahoo+Answers

Resources and links
[|Yahoo! Answers] [|Yahoo! Answers Help]

Strengths:

 * Free.
 * Provides members an opportunity to receive immediate feedback for any possible question.
 * Allows members to browse a huge database of previously asked questions.
 * Members build their reputations for good answers through a point system.
 * Allows members a chance to interact with professionals from all over the world.
 * Thumbs up and thumbs down system allows all participants to judge the correctness of an answer.
 * All members of the community can report abuse of the forum.
 * Members must be 13 years old.
 * Members must abide by a set of netiquette guidelines.
 * Page has an RSS option.

Weaknesses:

 * Members answers and questions are often uncensored.
 * Answers are not verified as correct by any members with authority and knowledge.
 * Incorrect answers could be voted as best answer.
 * Students could use the forum inappropriately for research.
 * Yahoo! Answers is often blocked by school district firewalls.
 * Because registered users must be 13 years old, this tool is only appropriate for high school students.

Opportunities:

 * Students can use Yahoo Answers for homework help.
 * Students can sharpen their skills by answering other members' homework questions.
 * Yahoo Answers fosters a sense of community by allowing people to collaborate to answer a question.

**Threats**:

 * Because the community is large and varied, questions and answers can be inappropriate for younger users.
 * Such communities are often targeted by spam answers which if clicked could lead to contracting viruses.
 * Students could use the forum to cheat.
 * Advertisements can make the information presented seem less trustworthy.

Ideas for the Classroom:

 * Encourage students to use this platform for homework help.
 * Allow students to earn extra credit by proving they answered other members' math questions correctly.