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Amazon Launches Answers Service Beta

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the more-you-know dept.

Fennec writes "Amazon.com has launched a beta of a new service called Askville, yet another online answers service, flavored with "Experience Points, Levels, and Quest Coins." These coins will supposedly become useful some day on another Amazon service that's not actually open yet, Questville. If this virtual currency becomes useful, could Askville fill a place between strictly volunteer systems and pay-for-answer services like the now-defunct Google Answers? Or is it destined to fail in the already-saturated online Q&A market?"

6 of 66 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Here's a question by Dunbal · · Score: 4, Funny

    Has anyone actually used one of these services for a real inquiry?


    YES

          That will be $15.95 please.

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    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
  2. Re:Here's a question by Psycosys · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why bother with one of these services when I can just Ask Slashdot for free?

  3. 45 Quest points awarded by weinrich · · Score: 4, Funny

    45 Quest points awarded for providing the Accepted Answer. Points go to Ogre_KLR, a level 5 Mage with +14 HP and a penchant for scrolls of invisibility.

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    Error: .sig not found, using /etc/passwd instead
    1. Re:45 Quest points awarded by Bloke+down+the+pub · · Score: 4, Funny

      What are the main weaknesses of a Gazebo?
      It can only cure a disease if the patient believes it will.
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      It's true I tell you, feller at work's next door neighbour read it in the paper.
    2. Re:45 Quest points awarded by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      I think you'll find that's a placenta...

  4. They wont give you anything interesting by 192939495969798999 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Yahoo Answers has long preported to offer rewards for answering questions, but so far the only rewards I've seen are a bumper sticker and a keychain, and both are awarded to any idiot who answers more than a (very low) set number of questions. Basically, they want to generate free traffic and advertising revenue. I wouldn't use the service unless they were paying cash money, but then of course it would just go away, because as Google found out, not that many people are willing to put up cash for an answer.

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