no.stupid.answers

You may have noticed some small changes to the site today - and if you did, well, you’ve got sharp eyes. Much of today’s release was focused on bug fixes and performance improvements, and if your answers load faster than usual, feel free to tip your mental hat to our engineering team.

Meanwhile, we’ve added a few handy tools to the menu on the left-hand side of the page. (To access the full version of the menu pictured here, sign up/log in and it will appear immediately.) The new tools are:

• browse categories (takes you to category HQ, where you can search for a topic or browse our category list)
• random page (jumps you to a randomly-picked question on WikiAnswers)
• WikiAnswers email (direct link to WA inbox - supervisors only)

So, what else is new in this release?

Browse unanswered questions

We’ve made it even easier to answer new questions on your favorite topic by adding a FAYT (find-as-you-type) search box to the unanswered question page. Just start typing and related categories will appear.

Who’s on the Community Forum?

The Community Forum also saw a small but significant change today. Scroll down to the bottom of the forum, and you’ll see a new section called “Viewing this forum.” Listed there are all the other members and community assistants who are currently browsing the forum. If you need help with the site, or just advice from another WikiAnswerer, you can turn to these folks for help.

Category page design tweaks

The category page was treated to a modest makeover to improve readability and flexibility. See if you can spot the differences between the old and the new designs!

That’s a wrap! Until next time… onward and upward!

UPDATE: Thanks to Matthew for pointing out that a fix for the missing bio pages didn’t, in fact, make this release. We apologize, and it’s on the way.

Lately I’ve been reading about “building your blog/reputation/traffic with Q&A.” In fact, in the last few days I’ve read posts from Search Engine Journal, The IT Informer, Swiss Army Librarian, and Baltimore SEO. It’s actually very clever and easy to do, when you think about it. It’s an excellent tool for bloggers, site owners, librarians and professionals to get their names out and build credible reputations in the online universe.

Let’s say I sell jewelry online. On top of just selling jewelry, I actually know my stuff: I know my gemstones, I know my metals, know what works and what doesn’t. I could actually let me knowledge of jewelry do me good.

Here’s how I would go about it:

• My Username: I would join WikiAnswers and choose a username that sounds professional but friendly. Something like, JewelryGenius or KnowsJewelry.
• My Bio Page: My Bio Page would be the center of my universe on WikiAnswers. It would be the place where I list my experience in the jewelery business, why I’m qualified to answer such questions, what my business is about and how you could contact me. These pages are available to search engines, so make it look good, it’s a reflection on you and your cause. Your Bio Page and contributions are also linked from your username, so when you answer a question or make a change on the site, you are constantly linking other people to your details.
• My Watchlist: My Watchlist is an excellent tool for getting new questions answered right away. Add as many categories as you like to your Watchlist, and get notified when those categories are updated with new unanswered questions. I would add the Jewelry category to my Watchlist, for instance. I would also go to My Settings and make sure I’m getting updated with an email when new questions are added to my Watchlist.
• Answer questions: Once that’s set up, I could get started answering questions about jewelry. I could go directly to the Jewelry category or do a search for jewelry keywords.
• Tip: When you are the first to answer a question, your username will stay linked under the question for all of eternity.

For more information on using WikiAnswers, see the Help Center.

I can feel the seasons changing as spring peeks through the wintry clouds. And with spring comes new beginnings. Like makeovers. Or some kind of shopping spree. At the very least, switching your wardrobe to warm-weather clothes… or else it’s just time for some spring cleaning.

Start the spring ritual with your WikiAnswers Bio Page, which has been renovated with a classy-yet-fun look. It’s like a makeover/spree/spring cleaning for your own WikiAnswers real estate.

When you create a user name, you get a customizable Bio Page to publicize your experience, expertise and of course, your blog or website. Fill your Bio Page with background information, fun facts about yourself and links to your favorite sites. Every time you answer a question, your user name is linked in the question history.

Sign in to WikiAnswers and click My Bio Page on the left side menu. You can edit your page by taking advantage of the new display options available (including Professions and Hobbies), add photos and change the color scheme of your page.