Yahoo withdrew my question that was a sideways compliment to Ted and other inveterate genealogy answerers!. Sorry for the lost points, folks!. They say I can't engage anyone directly, or mention names!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
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Position:Home>Genealogy> Are Yahoo best answers better than Wikipedia?Question: Are Yahoo best answers better than Wikipedia!? Yahoo withdrew my question that was a sideways compliment to Ted and other inveterate genealogy answerers!. Sorry for the lost points, folks!. They say I can't engage anyone directly, or mention names!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: We have some persons on this board that can do specific research and help people!. Wikipedia doesn't have that!. also we have people on this board that can give a lot of good ideas as to how to research family history!. I don't think Wikipedia has that!. Actually on Wikipedia we don't know who the sources are in many cases!. On here, at least there is an Avatar name and we all know that there are some who are very expert in genealogy!. However, many people asking questions are completely new to genealogy and Yahoo Answers!. They probably don't know, in many cases, what is a good answer and what isn't!. Therefore, I believe we need to be very conscientious in voting for the best answer!. We don't want to mislead people!. Your question was very polite to Ted and Wendy but I guess Yahoo wants to discourage discussing posters as some times there are those who make negative comments about posters and that is definitely a no no!. also to make snide remarks about another poster in an answer is a no no!. I do think to help people, we should affirm a good answer given by another poster!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Being completely 'technical' !.!. many questions are classified as chat, if the question really has no solid answer!. I did not see your original post!.!. but apparently it was intended as friendly!. Trust me!.!.many are NOT that way!. Speaking explicitly about yahoo vs wikipedia!.!.!. I don't know that one size fits all, as to best/ not best!. I have seen valid info out of wikipedia, and total garbage out of yahoo!. Wikipedia is structured in such a way that it has to be 'buyer beware'!. Genealogy is very much a "niche" topic, that most of the time is going to need very explicit answers, not to mention that those answers, in most cases, HAVE TO BE from a solid source!. There is a wide variety of areas on yahoo!.!. what works in genealogy, law, math!.!. is completely different from what works in recipes, parenting or politics!. Any system has burps, which we are fully aware of!. One lady clearly liked getting the facts from me, which she said!.!. then she hit the wrong button and gave 10 points to someone else who made no attempt to even answer!. No biggie!.!. I know she got the info, which is the bottom line for me!. Sorry that you had something deleted, but it is ok!.!. we all trip, get up, dust ourselves off, and go again!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Sometimes "Best Answers" are from "Wikipedia", which is not always correct!. Several of my clients are teachers (middleschool/junior high and senior high) and do not allow their students to use Wikipedia as a source for any of their research!. Don't worry about the lost points!. Most of us didn't even miss them!. But, thanks for apologizing!. It's always nice to know that someone out there, in Y!A Land with good manners !.Www@QuestionHome@Com I know - you're not allowed to 'chat' so they'll delete your question if you do!. Anyway, generally speaking Wikipedia gives better answers than best answers for most things - this is because the asker more often than not seems to already have an answer and they're just looking for confirmation, so anyone who comes closest to what they already think will get best answer - whether or not it's right!.Www@QuestionHome@Com If you have a VERY specific question ("Parents of Mortimer Periwinkle, b, 1876-1880, Pocatello, Idaho!?" ) AND get an answer with sources, yes!. If you have a general question ("What were the causes of World War II!?"), no!. If you get an 18-year old making 2 points as fast as he can ("Try ansistry!.com, Dude"), no again!. People call me insufferably arrogant when I use the term "real genealogy board" for the 160,000 boards that Ancestry has for surnames, counties, regions and interests, and the 80,000 that GenForum has for surnames, counties, regions and interests!. (Genforum tends to lump similar surnames, like "Ayres" and "Ayres", together in one surname board, Ancestry tends to have two boards!.) I am insufferably arrogant , but it still hurts!. Even warm, witty, well read and devilishly handsome people have feelings, after all!. The real genealogy boards would be a better place to post specific questions!. They are much smaller and much more tightly focused!. Wikipedia is good for broad questions!. Y!A is good for specific questions if you want them answered by one or two out of two dozen or so warm, witty, well read and devilishly handsome people who have become addicted to the points!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Well, Yahoo! Answers are opinions of different people While Wikipedia is the opinion of one person or just plain factsWww@QuestionHome@Com Not necessarily! They both rely on not the most reliable sources!.Www@QuestionHome@Com |