Quora: Fun with Strangers

I'm back! After a long hiatus due to a busy schedule, I've picked up the blogging again. Considering I'm an unemployed graduate, I think I'll be laying off of the interview tips and sticking to what I know - social media.

Which brings me to Quora. I got on Quora in the summer of 2010, before it got much buzz on the interwebs, because I pride myself on being an early adopter. However, once I perused the site, I found it to be the ultimate crowdsourcing tool. Quora defines itself as "a continually improving collection of questions and answers." What I would call a hybrid of Yahoo Answers and Wikipedia, this open website wasn't too hopping when I first joined. Fast forward a few months and I remember I have an account. I logged in and checked it out, to find that Quora has developed into quite a community. Here are my reasons why you should be on Quora!

1. Got an burning question? Someone else probably already asked it. The wide variety of questions on Quora, from job advice to car advice to all-out philosophical discussions, is vast. Sure, you could post your question on Facebook and your friends will probably pass it by. On Quora, you can categorize your question and get advice from someone who knows the material. For instance, when I first joined, I asked about the government incentives for buying a hybrid vehicle. Within a day, I had responses that, um... there weren't any anymore. I fact checked the response on Google and what do you know, they were right! For when your Google search results are just a little too complicated, Quora is a great alternative to pages and pages of information.

2. No question is too vague or too specific. No matter how broad your question is (for example, "What are fun things to do in Southern California?"), people will answer it for you. If you're getting very specific, like where to recruit talent for your business, someone will have ideas to contribute. A variety of users means a variety of results - you're getting a human response to your question, rather than a query to be more specific.

3. Face it - it's fun to be a guru. I only lived in Southern California for three years, but every time someone asks about good places to eat, I'm stoked to give recommendations. You know your field, your hometown, your hobbies and everything else in your life better than other people - and they have questions about it. This is a great place for you to share!

So go go go, sign up for Quora now. With people giving background on why they're qualified to answer the question (unlike Yahoo Answers) and specific answers/expansion to what you're looking for (unlike Wikipedia), Quora is a great place to get your knowledge in a social manner. You can find me on Quora here!